PHOENIX – Another brilliant start from Alec Marsh and two majestic home runs by Hunter Bishop led the Sun Devil Baseball team to a victory over the Michigan State Spartans, shutting them out 8-0 on Friday evening at Phoenix Municipal Stadium.
Bishop made his two hits of the game count, with his two long balls traveling a combined 885 feet. Bishop racked up four RBIs for the game, making up half of the team's total. He continues his hot start to the season, sitting at four home runs and 11 RBI's on the season.
Marsh picked up his third win in as many starts after pitching seven shutout innings, giving up five hits, walking two and striking out six batters. He worked his way out of several jams and has now allowed only one earned run in his last 15 innings of work.
Myles Denson earned his second start of the season and continued to rake, going 2-for-4 with a triple, a double and an RBI. He has multiple hits in each of his starts this season. Spencer Torkelson, Lyle Lin and Sam Ferri also added multi-hit games as the Sun Devils offense post 14 hits in the contest.
Working around a pair of baserunners in the first inning, Marsh showed a quick move to first that erased Spartans leadoff hitter Justin Antoncic and quickly ended the threat. It was the fourth baserunner Marsh has picked off in his career.
A scoreless tie would soon be broken in a spectacular way, as Bishop stepped up to the plate with two runners on base. He brought the crowd to their feet as he belted a three-run home run over the scoreboard in right-center field to give the Sun Devils a 3-0 lead at the bottom of the third inning. The ball traveled an incredible 435 feet and came off the bat at a speed of 114 miles per hour.
Arizona State relentless offensive approach kept the pressure on Spartans Friday night starter, Mason Erla. They added another run in the fourth after Alika Williams singled to center field, scoring Gage Workman.
The Sun Devils' Friday night starter looked the part, settling in as he got a feel for his pitches. He blanked Michigan State through six, looking his best during a 1-2-3 sixth inning.
ASU broke the game open in the sixth, chasing Erla and finding success against a pair of Spartan relievers. Getting a start in right field, Myles Denson was terrific offensively as he continues his terrific start to the season. Denson drove in Alika Williams with a triple to right field and was singled home one batter later by Sam Ferri, as the bottom of the lineup made an impact. Lyle Lin would show patience in working a bases-loaded walk that capped a three-run inning and extended the Sun Devil lead to 7-0.
After seeing his offense put the game out of reach, Marsh refused to lose focus as he headed to the mound for the start of the seventh. He retired three consecutive batters, including putting an exclamation point on another gem with a strikeout to strand a leadoff double.
The first home run of the night for Hunter Bishop traveled 435 feet, a mark most thought would be the farthest ball they had seen hit all year. However, Bishop had other ideas as he stepped up to the plate in the eighth. The junior outfielder put a perfect swing and crushed a ball to right center field, landing 450 feet onto the practice field beyond the right field fence.
Sam Romero would carry the Sun Devils the rest of the way out of the pen, relieving Marsh in the eighth. Romero shut the door, striking out a pair in a scoreless eighth and ninth inning.
The Sun Devils continue the series versus Michigan State tomorrow at 6:30 p.m. Arizona time. The game can be viewed on the ASU Live Stream and heard on NBC Sports 1060 AM KDUS.
NOTES: Arizona State moves to 9-0 on the season and has scored at least eight runs in seven of their nine games…the pitching staff records their first shutout of the season and has now allowed three runs or less in six consecutive games...the streak represents the longest such span since May 4th-15th during the 2012 season...Alec Marsh has turned in a quality start in eight of his 11 starts since taking over on Friday nights…tonight was the 20th time in Marsh's last 21 games that he has allowed three earned runs or less…Lyle Lin continues to see the ball extremely well, posting incredible numbers over his last four games...Lin is 10-for-19 with two home runs and 10 runs batted in during his recent hot streak...after not reaching base for the first time in 46 games, Spencer Torkelson bounced back with his eighth multi-hit effort of the season…Hunter Bishop becomes the fifth different Sun Devil to drive in four runs in a game this season, joining Trevor Hauver (7), Lyle Lin (6), Carter Aldrete (6), and Spencer Torkelson (4)…showing off the depth of their lineup, the bottom three hitters in the lineup combined to go 5-for-11, each scoring and driving in a run.
Bishop made his two hits of the game count, with his two long balls traveling a combined 885 feet. Bishop racked up four RBIs for the game, making up half of the team's total. He continues his hot start to the season, sitting at four home runs and 11 RBI's on the season.
Marsh picked up his third win in as many starts after pitching seven shutout innings, giving up five hits, walking two and striking out six batters. He worked his way out of several jams and has now allowed only one earned run in his last 15 innings of work.
Myles Denson earned his second start of the season and continued to rake, going 2-for-4 with a triple, a double and an RBI. He has multiple hits in each of his starts this season. Spencer Torkelson, Lyle Lin and Sam Ferri also added multi-hit games as the Sun Devils offense post 14 hits in the contest.
Working around a pair of baserunners in the first inning, Marsh showed a quick move to first that erased Spartans leadoff hitter Justin Antoncic and quickly ended the threat. It was the fourth baserunner Marsh has picked off in his career.
A scoreless tie would soon be broken in a spectacular way, as Bishop stepped up to the plate with two runners on base. He brought the crowd to their feet as he belted a three-run home run over the scoreboard in right-center field to give the Sun Devils a 3-0 lead at the bottom of the third inning. The ball traveled an incredible 435 feet and came off the bat at a speed of 114 miles per hour.
Arizona State relentless offensive approach kept the pressure on Spartans Friday night starter, Mason Erla. They added another run in the fourth after Alika Williams singled to center field, scoring Gage Workman.
The Sun Devils' Friday night starter looked the part, settling in as he got a feel for his pitches. He blanked Michigan State through six, looking his best during a 1-2-3 sixth inning.
ASU broke the game open in the sixth, chasing Erla and finding success against a pair of Spartan relievers. Getting a start in right field, Myles Denson was terrific offensively as he continues his terrific start to the season. Denson drove in Alika Williams with a triple to right field and was singled home one batter later by Sam Ferri, as the bottom of the lineup made an impact. Lyle Lin would show patience in working a bases-loaded walk that capped a three-run inning and extended the Sun Devil lead to 7-0.
After seeing his offense put the game out of reach, Marsh refused to lose focus as he headed to the mound for the start of the seventh. He retired three consecutive batters, including putting an exclamation point on another gem with a strikeout to strand a leadoff double.
The first home run of the night for Hunter Bishop traveled 435 feet, a mark most thought would be the farthest ball they had seen hit all year. However, Bishop had other ideas as he stepped up to the plate in the eighth. The junior outfielder put a perfect swing and crushed a ball to right center field, landing 450 feet onto the practice field beyond the right field fence.
Sam Romero would carry the Sun Devils the rest of the way out of the pen, relieving Marsh in the eighth. Romero shut the door, striking out a pair in a scoreless eighth and ninth inning.
The Sun Devils continue the series versus Michigan State tomorrow at 6:30 p.m. Arizona time. The game can be viewed on the ASU Live Stream and heard on NBC Sports 1060 AM KDUS.
NOTES: Arizona State moves to 9-0 on the season and has scored at least eight runs in seven of their nine games…the pitching staff records their first shutout of the season and has now allowed three runs or less in six consecutive games...the streak represents the longest such span since May 4th-15th during the 2012 season...Alec Marsh has turned in a quality start in eight of his 11 starts since taking over on Friday nights…tonight was the 20th time in Marsh's last 21 games that he has allowed three earned runs or less…Lyle Lin continues to see the ball extremely well, posting incredible numbers over his last four games...Lin is 10-for-19 with two home runs and 10 runs batted in during his recent hot streak...after not reaching base for the first time in 46 games, Spencer Torkelson bounced back with his eighth multi-hit effort of the season…Hunter Bishop becomes the fifth different Sun Devil to drive in four runs in a game this season, joining Trevor Hauver (7), Lyle Lin (6), Carter Aldrete (6), and Spencer Torkelson (4)…showing off the depth of their lineup, the bottom three hitters in the lineup combined to go 5-for-11, each scoring and driving in a run.