TUCSON, Ariz. – Hunter Bishop recorded five RBIs, Spencer Torkelson hit another home run and the Sun Devil bullpen threw 6.1 scoreless innings of relief as Arizona State defeated Arizona, 10-5, on Friday night in Tucson.
Bishop had the game of his life, recording two bases-loaded hits en route to the first five-RBI game for a Sun Devil this season and the first of his career.
Torkelson did Torkelson things, launching his nation-leading 24th home run. He became the first Pac-12 player to hit 24 home runs in a season since Arizona's Shelly Duncan in 2001 and he is now tied for 13th in Pac-12 single season history.
The ninth-inning dinger gave him a two-home run lead for the national lead as he climbs within two of the NCAA freshman record of 26, set by Todd Greene of Georgia Southern in 1990.
Gage Canning notched a home run himself, his ninth of the season as he came within one home run of becoming the first NCAA player since 2010 to have double digit doubles, triples and home runs. Only 14 other players have accomplished the feat since 1989 and Canning would be the first player from a Power Five school to accomplish the feat since Nomar Garciaparra did so for Georgia Tech in 1994.
ASU got 6.1 solid innings of relief from its bullpen, with Connor Higgins gets ASU out of a huge jam in the fourth inning and going on to earn his second win of the season. Higgins pitched 2.2 innings of hitless and scoreless relief before giving way to Brady Corrigan. The freshman went 2.1 innings of scoreless relief, allowing just one hit with a strikeout to earn his first career save.
Canning led the scoring off right out the gates, launching a two-run solo shot to right center in the top of the first to give ASU an early 1-0 lead.
The Wildcats responded with a run off a wild pitch in the bottom of the inning to tie things up before but issued three free passes to the Sun Devils to lead off the second inning and Bishop bade them pay. Bishop ripped a long foul ball before turn one and sending it to opposite left center field, a base-clearing double that scored three runs and made it 5-1 after Bishop scored on a sac fly.
Arizona was up to task in the bottom of the third, however, taking advantage of some free passes of its own to throw up four runs to things up a 4-4 after three.
The Wildcats would threaten in the bottom of the fifth, putting two runners in scoring position with just one out but Higgins entered the game to shut things down with a big strikeout followed by a groundout to escape the frame unscathed.
ASU, despite having five runs early, had just two hits through the first five innings of the game before the bats came alive again in the sixth. Canning led the frame off with a leadoff triple – his 11th of the season – and scored on Carter Aldrete's chopper through the right side to go back on top, 6-5.
Alika Williams added a hit of his own and Gage Workman walked to load the bases for Bishop yet again and the sophomore delivered with a two-RBI laser to center field to give ASU a three-run advantage at 8-5.
Torkelson gave ASU the insurance it would need in the top of the ninth as the freshman launched his 24th home run of the season, another moonshot over the wall in left field to give Corrigan a five-run lead as the fellow freshman earned the first save of his career.
The two teams will come back together for the rubber match at Hi Corbett field tomorrow at 4:30 p.m. PT, broadcast live on the Pac-12 Network.
Bishop had the game of his life, recording two bases-loaded hits en route to the first five-RBI game for a Sun Devil this season and the first of his career.
Torkelson did Torkelson things, launching his nation-leading 24th home run. He became the first Pac-12 player to hit 24 home runs in a season since Arizona's Shelly Duncan in 2001 and he is now tied for 13th in Pac-12 single season history.
The ninth-inning dinger gave him a two-home run lead for the national lead as he climbs within two of the NCAA freshman record of 26, set by Todd Greene of Georgia Southern in 1990.
Gage Canning notched a home run himself, his ninth of the season as he came within one home run of becoming the first NCAA player since 2010 to have double digit doubles, triples and home runs. Only 14 other players have accomplished the feat since 1989 and Canning would be the first player from a Power Five school to accomplish the feat since Nomar Garciaparra did so for Georgia Tech in 1994.
ASU got 6.1 solid innings of relief from its bullpen, with Connor Higgins gets ASU out of a huge jam in the fourth inning and going on to earn his second win of the season. Higgins pitched 2.2 innings of hitless and scoreless relief before giving way to Brady Corrigan. The freshman went 2.1 innings of scoreless relief, allowing just one hit with a strikeout to earn his first career save.
Canning led the scoring off right out the gates, launching a two-run solo shot to right center in the top of the first to give ASU an early 1-0 lead.
The Wildcats responded with a run off a wild pitch in the bottom of the inning to tie things up before but issued three free passes to the Sun Devils to lead off the second inning and Bishop bade them pay. Bishop ripped a long foul ball before turn one and sending it to opposite left center field, a base-clearing double that scored three runs and made it 5-1 after Bishop scored on a sac fly.
Arizona was up to task in the bottom of the third, however, taking advantage of some free passes of its own to throw up four runs to things up a 4-4 after three.
The Wildcats would threaten in the bottom of the fifth, putting two runners in scoring position with just one out but Higgins entered the game to shut things down with a big strikeout followed by a groundout to escape the frame unscathed.
ASU, despite having five runs early, had just two hits through the first five innings of the game before the bats came alive again in the sixth. Canning led the frame off with a leadoff triple – his 11th of the season – and scored on Carter Aldrete's chopper through the right side to go back on top, 6-5.
Alika Williams added a hit of his own and Gage Workman walked to load the bases for Bishop yet again and the sophomore delivered with a two-RBI laser to center field to give ASU a three-run advantage at 8-5.
Torkelson gave ASU the insurance it would need in the top of the ninth as the freshman launched his 24th home run of the season, another moonshot over the wall in left field to give Corrigan a five-run lead as the fellow freshman earned the first save of his career.
The two teams will come back together for the rubber match at Hi Corbett field tomorrow at 4:30 p.m. PT, broadcast live on the Pac-12 Network.