TEMPE, Ariz.– The Sun Devil Baseball team now sits at 8-0 after picking up a 4-3 victory over Pepperdine on Tuesday evening at Phoenix Municipal Stadium.
Left-hander Eric Tolman provided five solid innings and Blake Burzell recorded the final five outs to earn his first career save to lead the way on the mound. Trevor Hauver's seventh inning two-run home run proved to be the difference, as Arizona State allowed three runs or less for the sixth time in eight games this season.
The Sun Devils moved to 8-0 to start a season for the first time since starting the 2010 season with 24 consecutive wins.
Tolman kept the Waves at bay and looked sharp early, working a 1-2-3 second inning. Lyle Lin got the Sun Devils on the board first with a solo blast to left field. Lin's two home runs this season match his total from all of last season.
The solo shot was Lin's 17th RBI of the season, a year removed from posting just 18 TOTAL RBIs in his sophomore season – despite starting all 55 games.
An insurance run came as the result of a fourth inning rally initiated by a Hunter Bishop walk. Lyle Lin picked up his second hit of the game, with Bishop taking the extra base on a single to right. Aldrete earned the Devils second walk of the inning to load the bases. Alika Williams doubled the lead with a shot back up the middle too hot for the pitcher to handle, scoring Bishop from third to make it 2-0.
Tolman cruised through four scoreless innings, keeping the ball down in the zone and inducing weak contact. He showed composure after Pepperdine scored for the first time off of a wild pitch followed by an infield error, bouncing back to retire the next two batters and keep the Devils in front.
Brady Corrigan was the first out of the pen for Head Coach Tracy Smith, posting a scoreless sixth in his first inning of work. Back out for his second inning in the seventh, he limited the damage by recording back-to-back punchouts after Pepperdine managed to knot things up at two.
With the game in the balance in the seventh, Trevor Hauver met Waves' right-hander Michael Mahony with a deep fly ball to center. The ball carried over the 395-foot sign in center field, a two-run shot scoring Sam Ferri who had led off the inning with a double down the left field line to give ASU a 4-2 advantage. Hauver has now recorded a hit in seven of eight games this season.
Pepperdine trimmed the lead to one with an unearned run in the eighth inning. However, freshman right-hander Blake Burzell worked around a pair of defensive miscues to get the Sun Devils out the jam, leaving a pair of runners stranded in scoring position and keeping ASU on top with a one-run advantage.
Burzell earned a shot a closing the night out in the ninth. He retired the Waves in order, striking out designated hitter Billy Cook to clinch the 4-3 victory and record his first collegiate save.
The Sun Devils return to action Friday to begin a three-game series against Michigan State at 6:30 p.m. AZT. All three games of the series will be streamed live via the Pac-12 Network Plus.
Left-hander Eric Tolman provided five solid innings and Blake Burzell recorded the final five outs to earn his first career save to lead the way on the mound. Trevor Hauver's seventh inning two-run home run proved to be the difference, as Arizona State allowed three runs or less for the sixth time in eight games this season.
The Sun Devils moved to 8-0 to start a season for the first time since starting the 2010 season with 24 consecutive wins.
Tolman kept the Waves at bay and looked sharp early, working a 1-2-3 second inning. Lyle Lin got the Sun Devils on the board first with a solo blast to left field. Lin's two home runs this season match his total from all of last season.
The solo shot was Lin's 17th RBI of the season, a year removed from posting just 18 TOTAL RBIs in his sophomore season – despite starting all 55 games.
An insurance run came as the result of a fourth inning rally initiated by a Hunter Bishop walk. Lyle Lin picked up his second hit of the game, with Bishop taking the extra base on a single to right. Aldrete earned the Devils second walk of the inning to load the bases. Alika Williams doubled the lead with a shot back up the middle too hot for the pitcher to handle, scoring Bishop from third to make it 2-0.
Tolman cruised through four scoreless innings, keeping the ball down in the zone and inducing weak contact. He showed composure after Pepperdine scored for the first time off of a wild pitch followed by an infield error, bouncing back to retire the next two batters and keep the Devils in front.
Brady Corrigan was the first out of the pen for Head Coach Tracy Smith, posting a scoreless sixth in his first inning of work. Back out for his second inning in the seventh, he limited the damage by recording back-to-back punchouts after Pepperdine managed to knot things up at two.
With the game in the balance in the seventh, Trevor Hauver met Waves' right-hander Michael Mahony with a deep fly ball to center. The ball carried over the 395-foot sign in center field, a two-run shot scoring Sam Ferri who had led off the inning with a double down the left field line to give ASU a 4-2 advantage. Hauver has now recorded a hit in seven of eight games this season.
Pepperdine trimmed the lead to one with an unearned run in the eighth inning. However, freshman right-hander Blake Burzell worked around a pair of defensive miscues to get the Sun Devils out the jam, leaving a pair of runners stranded in scoring position and keeping ASU on top with a one-run advantage.
Burzell earned a shot a closing the night out in the ninth. He retired the Waves in order, striking out designated hitter Billy Cook to clinch the 4-3 victory and record his first collegiate save.
The Sun Devils return to action Friday to begin a three-game series against Michigan State at 6:30 p.m. AZT. All three games of the series will be streamed live via the Pac-12 Network Plus.