PHOENIX – Despite a great pitching effort from Eli Lingos, and a staff that combined to allow just five hits against one of the nation's most potent offenses, the Sun Devils fell to California, 3-0, in the 2018 season finale on Saturday evening at Phoenix Municipal Stadium.
The Sun Devils utilized its trio of healthy senior pitchers on the evening, letting Grant Schneider, Ryan Hingst and Eli Lingos experience their last moments on the rubber in their senior career.
The group combined to allow just one earned run while striking out 10. Lingos, especially, was spectacular as he went 6.0 innings with just three hits and no runs allowed while striking out six in his final game as a Sun Devil.
Schneider got the nod on Senior Night in his first career start, and worked 2.2 innings allowing just two hits while striking out three. Despite his efforts, the first run to cross was unearned and charged to him, giving him the loss.
Cal got on the board for the first time in the top of the third. With two outs in the third and a runner on, Cal left fielder Jonah Davis lifted a sky-high fly ball to shallow right field. The ball got caught in a strong breeze and tipped off of the glove of Carter Aldrete before falling to the ground. Davis was hustling on the play and was trying for third base when the throw got away and brought Davis all the way around to score and put Cal up 2-0.
That was all the support Cal pitcher Aaron Shortridge would need, as he held the Sun Devils at bay, going the distance for a six-hit shutout.
Cal tacked on a bit of insurance in the fourth with an RBI from Andrew Vaughn on a fielder's choice to shortstop and push the lead to 3-0.
Lingos came on in the fourth inning and was stellar, going six scoreless innings and surrendering only three hits while striking out six to keep the Sun Devils within striking distance.
ASU threatened in the eighth after Spencer Torkelson singled and advanced to second on a wild pitch with nobody out. But that was as far as he would get, as the next three Sun Devils grounded out to end the inning.
A one-out single in the ninth from Aldrete tried to start a rally and prolong the season, but a 5-4-3 double play ultimately proved to be the final outs of 2018.
Torkleson was unable to get ahold of one this weekend, but ASU limited Cal slugger Andrew Vaughn through the weekend to solidify Torkelson as the nation's regular season as the nation's home run leader with 25. His 25 jacks were the second-most by a freshman in NCAA history – just one behind Georgia Southern's Todd Greene in 1990.
Torkelson did reach on a single in Saturday's contest to end his season having reached based in 39 consecutive games – the eighth-longest active streak of any player in the country.
The Sun Devils utilized its trio of healthy senior pitchers on the evening, letting Grant Schneider, Ryan Hingst and Eli Lingos experience their last moments on the rubber in their senior career.
The group combined to allow just one earned run while striking out 10. Lingos, especially, was spectacular as he went 6.0 innings with just three hits and no runs allowed while striking out six in his final game as a Sun Devil.
Schneider got the nod on Senior Night in his first career start, and worked 2.2 innings allowing just two hits while striking out three. Despite his efforts, the first run to cross was unearned and charged to him, giving him the loss.
Cal got on the board for the first time in the top of the third. With two outs in the third and a runner on, Cal left fielder Jonah Davis lifted a sky-high fly ball to shallow right field. The ball got caught in a strong breeze and tipped off of the glove of Carter Aldrete before falling to the ground. Davis was hustling on the play and was trying for third base when the throw got away and brought Davis all the way around to score and put Cal up 2-0.
That was all the support Cal pitcher Aaron Shortridge would need, as he held the Sun Devils at bay, going the distance for a six-hit shutout.
Cal tacked on a bit of insurance in the fourth with an RBI from Andrew Vaughn on a fielder's choice to shortstop and push the lead to 3-0.
Lingos came on in the fourth inning and was stellar, going six scoreless innings and surrendering only three hits while striking out six to keep the Sun Devils within striking distance.
ASU threatened in the eighth after Spencer Torkelson singled and advanced to second on a wild pitch with nobody out. But that was as far as he would get, as the next three Sun Devils grounded out to end the inning.
A one-out single in the ninth from Aldrete tried to start a rally and prolong the season, but a 5-4-3 double play ultimately proved to be the final outs of 2018.
Torkleson was unable to get ahold of one this weekend, but ASU limited Cal slugger Andrew Vaughn through the weekend to solidify Torkelson as the nation's regular season as the nation's home run leader with 25. His 25 jacks were the second-most by a freshman in NCAA history – just one behind Georgia Southern's Todd Greene in 1990.
Torkelson did reach on a single in Saturday's contest to end his season having reached based in 39 consecutive games – the eighth-longest active streak of any player in the country.