Lingos' Gem, Freshmen Bats Lead ASU to Shutout of #16 UCLA

LOS ANGELES – Sun Devil Baseball rallied after dropping the first two games of the series, shutting out the No. 16 UCLA Bruins, 4-0, on Sunday afternoon behind the arm of Eli Lingos and the clutch-hitting of a pair of freshmen.
 
Lingos put forth one of the top outings of his career, going a career-best 8.0 innings pitched and matching his career high with eight strikeouts as he led the Sun Devils (12-12, 4-2 Pac-12) to their second shutout of the season.
 
Despite facing runners on base at numerous points, Lingos was in control throughout and did not allow a runner beyond second base for the entirety of the game. Lingos limited the Bruins (15-5, 5-1 Pac-12) to just 1-of-12 hitting with runners on the base path and 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position.
 
With his curveball keeping UCLA hitters off balance all afternoon, Lingos scattered five hits in the effort while inducing a healthy balance of 11 fly outs, 5 ground outs and eight punchouts while not allowing a single extra-base hit. The knee-buckling off speed pitches froze numerous Bruins, leading to three backwards K's - two of those coming against UCLA standout and cleanup hitter Michael Toglia.

Offensively, it was freshman Gage Workman who had the big knocks in the contest out of the eight-hole, putting the Sun Devils on the board with an RBI double in the fifth inning to break a scoreless tie and give ASU its first lead of the series. He added an insurance run of his own after scoring on a sacrifice fly after his leadoff triple in the ninth inning to finish the day 2-for-4 with a run and an RBI.
 
Fellow freshman Alika Williams gave ASU some breathing room in the top of the sixth with his two-out single with the bases juiced to bring two runs across and give Lingos a 3-0 lead to work with for the remainder of his outing.
 
ASU enjoyed the production out of its 6-9 hitters with the group of Taylor Lane, Williams, Workman and Drew Swift combining for four hits, two runs and all four of the Sun Devil RBIs in the contest.
 
Chaz Montoya entered the game to close things out in the eight, needing just 11 pitches to seal the victory for the Devils.
 
Spencer Torkelson was 2-for-4 on the day with two doubles and a run scored. Lyle Lin extended his team-leading active hitting streak to eight games while Gage Canning singled late to extend his reached-base streak to all 24 games played by ASU this season.
 
The Sun Devils return on the road for more Pac-12 action this week with a three-game series in Pullman, Wash., against Washington State beginning on Thursday, March 29.