TEMPE, Ariz. – The Sun Devil Baseball team dropped the first game of the two-game, non-conference mid-week series against Cal State Fullerton, 7-6, Tuesday evening at Phoenix Municipal Stadium.
Sam Romero would get the ball on the bump first for Arizona State, making his sixth start of the season. Romero gave the Sun Devils a boost on the mound, keeping the Titans lineup in check. The junior would go five strong innings, allowing just one earned run while striking out five.
Freshman sensation Spencer Torkelson wasted no time moving back into a tie for the national lead in home run, taking a 3-2 pitch off the National Champion wall in opposite right center field for some oppo taco action on a night when Phoenix Muni celebrated Taco Tuesday.
A pair of infield errors in the top of the second allowed Fullerton to even the game up at 1-1 but ASU quickly responded in the bottom half of the frame.
Alika Williams extended his hitting streak to five games with a single and Hunter Bishop singled on his own to put two runners on. Both moved into scoring position behind a Fullerton error and then advanced home on Drew Swift's two-RBI single to give ASU a 3-1 advantage after two innings.
Fullerton would cut into the ASU lead with a run in the fourth, making it 3-2 but Romero held the Titan offense in check to give ASU a chance to extend the lead.
Canning laced a one-out triple in the fifth inning to extend his reached-base streak to all 28 games this season. It was his NCAA-leading ninth triple of the season and the 23rd of of his career – surpassing ASU's Willie Bloomquist for third in ASU career history. The junior would come across shortly later on a wild pitch to extend the ASU lead to 4-2.
After a solid start from Romero, Dellan Raish entered the contest and picked up where he left off following his Washington State outing and retired the first five batters he saw before allowing a two-out single in the seventh. The hit ended Raish's retired batter streak at 18 consecutive hitters but he quickly recovered to get the final out of the inning to keep it a two-run game.
A five-run ninth inning rally would give Cal State Fullerton their first lead of the game, as the Titans went ahead 7-4. The Sun Devils would not go quietly, however, as Trevor Hauver and Hunter Bishop delivered back-to-back one-out singles to put the tying run at the plate. Freshman Gage Workman stepped up in a pressure situation, delivering an RBI-single to bring home Hauver and cut the Titans lead to 7-5. Pinch hitter Hunter Jump would trim the lead once again, scoring Hunter Bishop on a RBI-fielder's choice. Titans closer Brett Conine would retire the final hitter to give Cal State Fullerton the 7-6 comeback victory.
Sam Romero would get the ball on the bump first for Arizona State, making his sixth start of the season. Romero gave the Sun Devils a boost on the mound, keeping the Titans lineup in check. The junior would go five strong innings, allowing just one earned run while striking out five.
Freshman sensation Spencer Torkelson wasted no time moving back into a tie for the national lead in home run, taking a 3-2 pitch off the National Champion wall in opposite right center field for some oppo taco action on a night when Phoenix Muni celebrated Taco Tuesday.
A pair of infield errors in the top of the second allowed Fullerton to even the game up at 1-1 but ASU quickly responded in the bottom half of the frame.
Alika Williams extended his hitting streak to five games with a single and Hunter Bishop singled on his own to put two runners on. Both moved into scoring position behind a Fullerton error and then advanced home on Drew Swift's two-RBI single to give ASU a 3-1 advantage after two innings.
Fullerton would cut into the ASU lead with a run in the fourth, making it 3-2 but Romero held the Titan offense in check to give ASU a chance to extend the lead.
Canning laced a one-out triple in the fifth inning to extend his reached-base streak to all 28 games this season. It was his NCAA-leading ninth triple of the season and the 23rd of of his career – surpassing ASU's Willie Bloomquist for third in ASU career history. The junior would come across shortly later on a wild pitch to extend the ASU lead to 4-2.
After a solid start from Romero, Dellan Raish entered the contest and picked up where he left off following his Washington State outing and retired the first five batters he saw before allowing a two-out single in the seventh. The hit ended Raish's retired batter streak at 18 consecutive hitters but he quickly recovered to get the final out of the inning to keep it a two-run game.
A five-run ninth inning rally would give Cal State Fullerton their first lead of the game, as the Titans went ahead 7-4. The Sun Devils would not go quietly, however, as Trevor Hauver and Hunter Bishop delivered back-to-back one-out singles to put the tying run at the plate. Freshman Gage Workman stepped up in a pressure situation, delivering an RBI-single to bring home Hauver and cut the Titans lead to 7-5. Pinch hitter Hunter Jump would trim the lead once again, scoring Hunter Bishop on a RBI-fielder's choice. Titans closer Brett Conine would retire the final hitter to give Cal State Fullerton the 7-6 comeback victory.