PHOENIX, Ariz. – The Sun Devil baseball team erupted for a season-high 20 hits and four home runs to power past the Oregon Ducks (12-6) in a dominant 18-4 victory on Saturday evening at Phoenix Municipal Stadium, earning their first Pac-12 series win of the season.
Gage Canning led the offensive barrage for the Sun Devils (10-9), going 5-for-5 with two home runs, one triple, five runs and four RBIs. Both of Canning's home runs were his first of the season, including an inside-the-park home run. Spencer Torkelson and Taylor Lane hit home runs of their own to add to Arizona State's volatile attack tonight.
Canning's inside-the-park home run was ASU's first since Trever Allen did it on March 1, 2012 against Saint Louis. His five hits were a new career best, as were his five runs scored – which were also good for 5th in ASU single-game history. He became the first player to reach 13 total bases in a game since Jeremy West did so in 2003 (14). The 13 total bases are fourth in ASU history behind only Todd Brown (16, 1985 vs. USC), West (14, 2003 vs. Washington State) and Oddibe McDowell (14, 1984 vs. Stanford).
Boyd Vander Kooi pitched five scoreless innings, giving up only one hit and striking out four as he improved to 3-1 on the season. Vander Kooi's effort dropped his season ERA down to 1.07 in 25.1 innings pitched this season.
Arizona State took no time heating up, putting up four runs on five hits in the first inning and two more runs in the second. Oregon's starting pitcher, James Acuna, gave up five earned runs before being pulled out after pitching 1.1 innings. Entering this game, Acuna had only given up five earned runs in four starts.
The Sun Devils racked up four runs in the fourth, capped off by a three-run shot from Canning for his first home run of the season.
The lead continued to bloom over the next three innings, including Lane's lead-off shot in the fourth, Canning's inside-the-park home run in the fifth and a three-run rocket to left field by Torkelson in the sixth. By the end of the sixth inning, Arizona State led 18-0 and held the Ducks to only one hit.
Torkelson's home run was his 10th of the season, putting his just one shy of tying Barry Bonds for ASU's freshman school record.
Oregon prevented a shut out by scoring two runs off of a triple in the eighth to finally put them on the board. The Ducks added two more runs in the ninth before the game ended.
Previously, the most runs Oregon gave up in a game was nine. ASU doubled that record after tonight's game and had 10 runs after the third inning. The Ducks had given up just 63 runs all season entering the night, with Saturday's result accounting for 22 percent of their current run total of 22 runs.
Canning triple in his final at-bat was his eighth of the season, matching his total from the entirety of last season. He now has 21 career triples and has the ASU school record of 26 in his sights just 19 games into the season. The ASU single-season record is 14 by Zack MacPhee in 2010. It was Canning's seventh game this season with 3 or more hits, over one-third of the ASU games played this season.
The junior has seven consecutive base hits in this series, good for 8th in ASU history and just two shy of the Sun Devil school record.
The Sun Devils will look to sweep the series with Oregon in their next game on Sunday at 12:30 p.m. AZT at Phoenix Municipal Stadium. The game will be featured live on Facebook Live and the Pac-12 Plus Live Stream.
Gage Canning led the offensive barrage for the Sun Devils (10-9), going 5-for-5 with two home runs, one triple, five runs and four RBIs. Both of Canning's home runs were his first of the season, including an inside-the-park home run. Spencer Torkelson and Taylor Lane hit home runs of their own to add to Arizona State's volatile attack tonight.
Canning's inside-the-park home run was ASU's first since Trever Allen did it on March 1, 2012 against Saint Louis. His five hits were a new career best, as were his five runs scored – which were also good for 5th in ASU single-game history. He became the first player to reach 13 total bases in a game since Jeremy West did so in 2003 (14). The 13 total bases are fourth in ASU history behind only Todd Brown (16, 1985 vs. USC), West (14, 2003 vs. Washington State) and Oddibe McDowell (14, 1984 vs. Stanford).
Boyd Vander Kooi pitched five scoreless innings, giving up only one hit and striking out four as he improved to 3-1 on the season. Vander Kooi's effort dropped his season ERA down to 1.07 in 25.1 innings pitched this season.
Arizona State took no time heating up, putting up four runs on five hits in the first inning and two more runs in the second. Oregon's starting pitcher, James Acuna, gave up five earned runs before being pulled out after pitching 1.1 innings. Entering this game, Acuna had only given up five earned runs in four starts.
The Sun Devils racked up four runs in the fourth, capped off by a three-run shot from Canning for his first home run of the season.
The lead continued to bloom over the next three innings, including Lane's lead-off shot in the fourth, Canning's inside-the-park home run in the fifth and a three-run rocket to left field by Torkelson in the sixth. By the end of the sixth inning, Arizona State led 18-0 and held the Ducks to only one hit.
Torkelson's home run was his 10th of the season, putting his just one shy of tying Barry Bonds for ASU's freshman school record.
Oregon prevented a shut out by scoring two runs off of a triple in the eighth to finally put them on the board. The Ducks added two more runs in the ninth before the game ended.
Previously, the most runs Oregon gave up in a game was nine. ASU doubled that record after tonight's game and had 10 runs after the third inning. The Ducks had given up just 63 runs all season entering the night, with Saturday's result accounting for 22 percent of their current run total of 22 runs.
Canning triple in his final at-bat was his eighth of the season, matching his total from the entirety of last season. He now has 21 career triples and has the ASU school record of 26 in his sights just 19 games into the season. The ASU single-season record is 14 by Zack MacPhee in 2010. It was Canning's seventh game this season with 3 or more hits, over one-third of the ASU games played this season.
The junior has seven consecutive base hits in this series, good for 8th in ASU history and just two shy of the Sun Devil school record.
The Sun Devils will look to sweep the series with Oregon in their next game on Sunday at 12:30 p.m. AZT at Phoenix Municipal Stadium. The game will be featured live on Facebook Live and the Pac-12 Plus Live Stream.