by Tony Thai, Sun Devil Athletics
PHOENIX – Carter Aldrete's two home runs highlighted Sun Devil Baseball's big offensive performance in the fifth and sixth innings, where the team scored 13 runs to blow past Notre Dame en route to a decisive 20-7 win in the second game of the season-opening series on Saturday night at Phoenix Municipal Stadium.
The Sun Devil offense benefitted from Aldrete's big game, as the junior went 3-for-5 with two home runs and a career-high six RBIs. The team also had contributions from Lyle Lin, Spencer Torkelson and Gage Workman, all having at least three hits and multiple RBIs.
Arizona State totaled 20 hits and 16 RBIs for the game. Seven different Sun Devils posted multi-hit games and five ASU players had multiple RBIs. The Sun Devils defense played without an error for the second consecutive game, turning two double plays and recording a pivotal inning-ending out on a 2-4-3-2-5 caught stealing in the top of the fourth inning to keep the game within two runs and set the stage for the offensive fireworks in the second half of the contest.
Workman had a career-high four hits on 4-of-6 hitting, scoring three runs and plating two RBIs. Torkelson continued his tear to start the year, going 3-for-5 with two RBIs and two runs scored as he is now 5-for-9 through two games this season with five RBIs and three runs scored. Lin was 3-for-6 with three RBIs to bring his season total to five.
Trevor Hauver continued to be a leadoff machine drawing four walks in the contest to bring his season total to seven through just two games. The sophomore added three runs and a hit in Saturday's effort. The four walks are tied for fourth in Sun Devil school single-game history.
Freshman Blake Burzell earned the win tonight in his first-ever collegiate outing after coming into relief pitch for two innings, striking out two, giving up one hit and walking one.
ASU 20 runs were the most since April 28, 2010 against San Francisco, a 21-3 victory. The Sun Devils 30 runs through the first two games of the season are the most since totaling 38 against Southern Utah to open the 2007 season and the third highest two-game season opening total in Sun Devil Baseball history (2007 and 1978 with 31 against CSUN).
Notre Dame cracked the scoring open first after a single to right field scored one run. The Sun Devils answered quickly by scoring three runs off of five hits to take a 3-1 lead after the first inning.
Eric Gilgenbach, Notre Dame's senior right fielder, hit a 2-run home run to tie the game at three apiece. The Fighting Irish then took the lead on a wild pitch by ASU's starter Boyd Vander Kooi to score a runner from third.
Notre Dame scored one more run in the fourth inning to take a 5-3 lead over Arizona State.
Lin singled to left field to score one run at the bottom of the fourth, but ASU could not bring in any more runs for the inning after a strikeout left two runners stranded on base.
The Sun Devils took charge in the fifth inning, batting around the order and scoring seven runs to take an 11-5 lead. Aldrete capped off Arizona State's big inning by blasting a 2-run home run into Notre Dame's bullpen. ASU had five hits in the inning, while Notre Dame committed two errors.
Arizona State had another big inning in the sixth, and Aldrete had another home run to left field to score three before ASU finished off a six-run inning.
ASU added three more runs in the seventh and Notre Dame scored two runs in the eighth before the game ended.
The Sun Devils have a chance to sweep the opening series against Notre Dame when they play tomorrow at 12:30 p.m. Arizona time. The game can be viewed on the ASU Live Stream through Pac-12 Networks.
PHOENIX – Carter Aldrete's two home runs highlighted Sun Devil Baseball's big offensive performance in the fifth and sixth innings, where the team scored 13 runs to blow past Notre Dame en route to a decisive 20-7 win in the second game of the season-opening series on Saturday night at Phoenix Municipal Stadium.
The Sun Devil offense benefitted from Aldrete's big game, as the junior went 3-for-5 with two home runs and a career-high six RBIs. The team also had contributions from Lyle Lin, Spencer Torkelson and Gage Workman, all having at least three hits and multiple RBIs.
Arizona State totaled 20 hits and 16 RBIs for the game. Seven different Sun Devils posted multi-hit games and five ASU players had multiple RBIs. The Sun Devils defense played without an error for the second consecutive game, turning two double plays and recording a pivotal inning-ending out on a 2-4-3-2-5 caught stealing in the top of the fourth inning to keep the game within two runs and set the stage for the offensive fireworks in the second half of the contest.
Workman had a career-high four hits on 4-of-6 hitting, scoring three runs and plating two RBIs. Torkelson continued his tear to start the year, going 3-for-5 with two RBIs and two runs scored as he is now 5-for-9 through two games this season with five RBIs and three runs scored. Lin was 3-for-6 with three RBIs to bring his season total to five.
Trevor Hauver continued to be a leadoff machine drawing four walks in the contest to bring his season total to seven through just two games. The sophomore added three runs and a hit in Saturday's effort. The four walks are tied for fourth in Sun Devil school single-game history.
Freshman Blake Burzell earned the win tonight in his first-ever collegiate outing after coming into relief pitch for two innings, striking out two, giving up one hit and walking one.
ASU 20 runs were the most since April 28, 2010 against San Francisco, a 21-3 victory. The Sun Devils 30 runs through the first two games of the season are the most since totaling 38 against Southern Utah to open the 2007 season and the third highest two-game season opening total in Sun Devil Baseball history (2007 and 1978 with 31 against CSUN).
Notre Dame cracked the scoring open first after a single to right field scored one run. The Sun Devils answered quickly by scoring three runs off of five hits to take a 3-1 lead after the first inning.
Eric Gilgenbach, Notre Dame's senior right fielder, hit a 2-run home run to tie the game at three apiece. The Fighting Irish then took the lead on a wild pitch by ASU's starter Boyd Vander Kooi to score a runner from third.
Notre Dame scored one more run in the fourth inning to take a 5-3 lead over Arizona State.
Lin singled to left field to score one run at the bottom of the fourth, but ASU could not bring in any more runs for the inning after a strikeout left two runners stranded on base.
The Sun Devils took charge in the fifth inning, batting around the order and scoring seven runs to take an 11-5 lead. Aldrete capped off Arizona State's big inning by blasting a 2-run home run into Notre Dame's bullpen. ASU had five hits in the inning, while Notre Dame committed two errors.
Arizona State had another big inning in the sixth, and Aldrete had another home run to left field to score three before ASU finished off a six-run inning.
ASU added three more runs in the seventh and Notre Dame scored two runs in the eighth before the game ended.
The Sun Devils have a chance to sweep the opening series against Notre Dame when they play tomorrow at 12:30 p.m. Arizona time. The game can be viewed on the ASU Live Stream through Pac-12 Networks.