SALT LAKE CITY – Carter Aldrete saved the game with an incredible diving catch in the 11thinning and kick-started an incredible seventh-run 12thinning as Sun Devil Baseball fended off a valiant Utah rally in a 11-6 victory in extra innings on Thursday evening in Salt Lake City.
With the winning running run on third with two outs in the bottom of the 11thin a 4-4 ball game, Carter Aldrete made arguably the defensive play of the season on a sharply hit fly ball to right field that he traced back to the warning track and made a over-the-should diving catch to save the game and give ASU all the momentum in the top of the 12th.
Aldrete's fourth hit of the game, an RBI double was a perfect hit-and-run play with Hunter Bishop jumping on his horse from first base and scoring easily after Aldrete took it to right field to give ASU a 5-4 lead. The flood gates opened from there as ASU hit for the cycle on four consecutive batters, capping a seven-run frame on Spencer Torkelson's 12th home run of the season – a two run shot that extended his hitting streak to 21 consecutive games as ASU took a commanding 11-4 lead.
Aldrete finished the day 4-for-6 with an RBI and a run scored. Trevor Hauver added a four-hit game as well with two RBIs. Drew Swift was 3-of-6 with a double and a triple and a team-high three runs scored. Alika Williams also added a three-hit game and every member of the Sun Devil lineup had at least one hit in the effort.
On the mound, it was a tale of the bookends as ASU got an exceptional start from ace Alec Marsh before Blake Burzell saved the day, keeping the game tied in 2.1 pivotal innings of work to earn his second win of the season.
Marsh was in usual form, going 7.0 innings with just one run allowed on three hits while striking out five as he dropped his season ERA to 1.95. Burzell struck out two and allowed just one run with the game in the balance, getting a pivotal punch out with the winning run at third base in the bottom of the ninth before holding the Utes scoreless in the 10thand 11thinnings to give ASU a chance to blow things open in the 12th.
ASU's staff stranded 12 Utah batters in the game, helping out an offense that stranded 10 baserunners of his own.
It was a pitching and defensive duel early in this one – despite the final score - with both teams going scoreless through the first four innings. ASU turned two double plays early to back Marsh up on the mound but Utah made a couple plays of their own to keep things even at 0-0.
ASU finally broke through in the top of the fifth behind a leadoff single and stolen base from Gage Workman. Swift's RBI double brought across the first run of the game and was followed immediately by an RBI double from Hauver to give the Devils a 2-0 advantage.
Marsh was masterful yet again, a week after shutting down third-ranked Oregon State in a three-hit, one-run victory. Marsh went five scoreless innings on Friday, allowing just one hit before giving up a solo shot in the bottom of the sixth for Utah's first run of the game.
The junior ace rebounded with six outs on the next seven batters he faced to keep the Devils on top into the eighth.
His teammates backed him up in the top of the eighth with an RBI single from Erik Tolman scored Williams to make it 3-1 and give ASU some insurance.
For the sixth time this season, Brady Corrigan escaped a bases-loaded jam as Utah rallied in the bottom of the half of the inning. The Utes took advantage of four free bases to score a run on a bases-loaded walk before Corrigan induced an inning-ending flyout to keep the Devils on top, 3-2.
ASU added another run in insurance in the top of the ninth on a Williams RBI single but couldn't stretch the game out and the inability to pull away came back to bite the team in the ninth.
Again, Utah loaded the bases with no outs in the bottom of the ninth. Chaz Montoya got a key strikeout but Utah evened the game at 4-4 behind a sac fly and RBI single. With runners on the corners and two outs, entered and got a pivotal looking strikeout to keep the winning run at third and send the game into the theatrical extra innings.
After Aldrete incredble grab in the 11th, Hunter Bishop led off the 12th with a walk and scored on Aldrete's double two batters later. Tolman walked on the ensuing batter but a flyout threated to keep things in the balance with the score at 5-4. The flood gates opened from there as ASU ripped off a cycle on the next four batters to blow the game open.
Same Ferri knocked a two-RBI double that was immediately followed by a Drew Swift triple to make it 8-4. Trevor Hauver took the first pitch he saw to right field for an RBI single and paved the way for Torkelson. The sophomore, whose 20-game hitting streak was in the balance, ended that emphatically with a two-run shot to right center to complete the cycle and make it 11-4 in favor of the Devils.
Utah added a two-run shot in the bottom half of the frame to climb back within five but that was the extent of the damage as ASU moved to 29-7 on the season and 11-5 in Pac-12 games.
ASU will return to action against the Utes tomorrow, with the game scheduled for a 5 p.m. AZT first pitch. The game will be streamed online through Utah's Pac-12 Live Stream and available on the airwaves in Phoenix on 1440 AM.
With the winning running run on third with two outs in the bottom of the 11thin a 4-4 ball game, Carter Aldrete made arguably the defensive play of the season on a sharply hit fly ball to right field that he traced back to the warning track and made a over-the-should diving catch to save the game and give ASU all the momentum in the top of the 12th.
Aldrete's fourth hit of the game, an RBI double was a perfect hit-and-run play with Hunter Bishop jumping on his horse from first base and scoring easily after Aldrete took it to right field to give ASU a 5-4 lead. The flood gates opened from there as ASU hit for the cycle on four consecutive batters, capping a seven-run frame on Spencer Torkelson's 12th home run of the season – a two run shot that extended his hitting streak to 21 consecutive games as ASU took a commanding 11-4 lead.
Aldrete finished the day 4-for-6 with an RBI and a run scored. Trevor Hauver added a four-hit game as well with two RBIs. Drew Swift was 3-of-6 with a double and a triple and a team-high three runs scored. Alika Williams also added a three-hit game and every member of the Sun Devil lineup had at least one hit in the effort.
On the mound, it was a tale of the bookends as ASU got an exceptional start from ace Alec Marsh before Blake Burzell saved the day, keeping the game tied in 2.1 pivotal innings of work to earn his second win of the season.
Marsh was in usual form, going 7.0 innings with just one run allowed on three hits while striking out five as he dropped his season ERA to 1.95. Burzell struck out two and allowed just one run with the game in the balance, getting a pivotal punch out with the winning run at third base in the bottom of the ninth before holding the Utes scoreless in the 10thand 11thinnings to give ASU a chance to blow things open in the 12th.
ASU's staff stranded 12 Utah batters in the game, helping out an offense that stranded 10 baserunners of his own.
It was a pitching and defensive duel early in this one – despite the final score - with both teams going scoreless through the first four innings. ASU turned two double plays early to back Marsh up on the mound but Utah made a couple plays of their own to keep things even at 0-0.
ASU finally broke through in the top of the fifth behind a leadoff single and stolen base from Gage Workman. Swift's RBI double brought across the first run of the game and was followed immediately by an RBI double from Hauver to give the Devils a 2-0 advantage.
Marsh was masterful yet again, a week after shutting down third-ranked Oregon State in a three-hit, one-run victory. Marsh went five scoreless innings on Friday, allowing just one hit before giving up a solo shot in the bottom of the sixth for Utah's first run of the game.
The junior ace rebounded with six outs on the next seven batters he faced to keep the Devils on top into the eighth.
His teammates backed him up in the top of the eighth with an RBI single from Erik Tolman scored Williams to make it 3-1 and give ASU some insurance.
For the sixth time this season, Brady Corrigan escaped a bases-loaded jam as Utah rallied in the bottom of the half of the inning. The Utes took advantage of four free bases to score a run on a bases-loaded walk before Corrigan induced an inning-ending flyout to keep the Devils on top, 3-2.
ASU added another run in insurance in the top of the ninth on a Williams RBI single but couldn't stretch the game out and the inability to pull away came back to bite the team in the ninth.
Again, Utah loaded the bases with no outs in the bottom of the ninth. Chaz Montoya got a key strikeout but Utah evened the game at 4-4 behind a sac fly and RBI single. With runners on the corners and two outs, entered and got a pivotal looking strikeout to keep the winning run at third and send the game into the theatrical extra innings.
After Aldrete incredble grab in the 11th, Hunter Bishop led off the 12th with a walk and scored on Aldrete's double two batters later. Tolman walked on the ensuing batter but a flyout threated to keep things in the balance with the score at 5-4. The flood gates opened from there as ASU ripped off a cycle on the next four batters to blow the game open.
Same Ferri knocked a two-RBI double that was immediately followed by a Drew Swift triple to make it 8-4. Trevor Hauver took the first pitch he saw to right field for an RBI single and paved the way for Torkelson. The sophomore, whose 20-game hitting streak was in the balance, ended that emphatically with a two-run shot to right center to complete the cycle and make it 11-4 in favor of the Devils.
Utah added a two-run shot in the bottom half of the frame to climb back within five but that was the extent of the damage as ASU moved to 29-7 on the season and 11-5 in Pac-12 games.
ASU will return to action against the Utes tomorrow, with the game scheduled for a 5 p.m. AZT first pitch. The game will be streamed online through Utah's Pac-12 Live Stream and available on the airwaves in Phoenix on 1440 AM.