SALT LAKE CITY – Boyd Vander Kooi went the distance for the first time in his career and the No. 12 Sun Devil Baseball team turned four double plays behind him as ASU defeated Utah, 8-5, to take the series from the Utes on Friday in Salt Lake City.
For the second consecutive game, the entire starting lineup recorded at least one hit for the Sun Devil offense as ASU scored seven unanswered runs after falling into an early 4-1 deficit. Spencer Torkelson had the big hit, a two-run single in the sixth to break a 4-4 tie and give ASU its first lead of the game – one that it wouldn't relinquish.
It was Torkelson's lone hit of the day, but he drew two walks and extended his hitting streak to 22 consecutive games – the longest since Riccio Torrez's 26-game hitting streak in 2010.
Vander Kooi bounced back from a spotty first three innings to post the first complete game of his career. The sophomore allowed four earned runs with five strikeouts while scattering 10 hits and letting his defense do the work behind him.
The trio of Torkelson, Swift and Alika Williams combined to turn four double plays on the evening – the most in a game since 2017. ASU entered the weekend ranked 11thin the country in double plays (35) and have added six in the first two games of this series.
The bottom of the order was deadly for the Devils as Gage Workman went 3-for-4 with an RBI in the eight-hole with Drew Swift recording two RBIs on 2-for-4 hitting in the nine-hole.
The Utes were the ones that got off to a hot start in this one, quickly scoring two in the first for their first lead of the series. ASU rebounded with an RBI single from Aldrete in the second but Utah ripped off RBIs in the second and third to extend the lead to 4-1.
The Sun Devil bats came to life in the top of the fourth with four straight base hits – three of which resulting in RBIs from Workman, Swift and Hauver – to bring the game even at 4-4. Utah threatened in the fifth, attempting to score a runner from first on a double to the gap in left center but Hunter Bishop perfectly found his relay man in Williams and the sophomore hummed one to home in time for Lyle Lin to make a diving play to save the run and end the inning.
ASU used that momentum to break through in the sixth, loading the bases with two outs for Torkelson. After striking out with runners on base in his previous at bat, Torkelson was not to be denied in this one. The sophomore laced a two-RBI single to opposite right field to give ASU its first lead of the game at 6-4.
Vader Kooi helped carry ASU from there. After throwing 55 pitches in the spotty first three innings, Vander Kooi was dominant – needed just 37 pitches to retire the next four inning's worth of Utah batters through the seventh inning.
The Sun Devils defense did its part behind him, turning three double plays in the process to keep the pitch count down and allow Vander Kooi to pitch into the eighth inning.
ASU gave him some valuable insurance in the top of the eighth, plating another pair of runs to extend its lead to 8-4. Back to back singles in the bottom half of the frame looked to spell trouble for the Sun Devils but - after a meeting on the mound – Vander Kooi got a force out at first before ASU turned a 6-4-3 double play to get out of the frame unscathed.
Utah added a run on a sac fly in the bottom of the ninth but Vander Kooi closed things out with his fifth strikeout of the game to earn the win.
ASU will look to sweep its first road series since 2017 on Saturday, with the game scheduled to get underway at 12 p.m. AZT. A live stream will be available through the University of Utah while the game will be aired in Phoenix on NBC Sports Radio 1060 AM.
For the second consecutive game, the entire starting lineup recorded at least one hit for the Sun Devil offense as ASU scored seven unanswered runs after falling into an early 4-1 deficit. Spencer Torkelson had the big hit, a two-run single in the sixth to break a 4-4 tie and give ASU its first lead of the game – one that it wouldn't relinquish.
It was Torkelson's lone hit of the day, but he drew two walks and extended his hitting streak to 22 consecutive games – the longest since Riccio Torrez's 26-game hitting streak in 2010.
Vander Kooi bounced back from a spotty first three innings to post the first complete game of his career. The sophomore allowed four earned runs with five strikeouts while scattering 10 hits and letting his defense do the work behind him.
The trio of Torkelson, Swift and Alika Williams combined to turn four double plays on the evening – the most in a game since 2017. ASU entered the weekend ranked 11thin the country in double plays (35) and have added six in the first two games of this series.
The bottom of the order was deadly for the Devils as Gage Workman went 3-for-4 with an RBI in the eight-hole with Drew Swift recording two RBIs on 2-for-4 hitting in the nine-hole.
The Utes were the ones that got off to a hot start in this one, quickly scoring two in the first for their first lead of the series. ASU rebounded with an RBI single from Aldrete in the second but Utah ripped off RBIs in the second and third to extend the lead to 4-1.
The Sun Devil bats came to life in the top of the fourth with four straight base hits – three of which resulting in RBIs from Workman, Swift and Hauver – to bring the game even at 4-4. Utah threatened in the fifth, attempting to score a runner from first on a double to the gap in left center but Hunter Bishop perfectly found his relay man in Williams and the sophomore hummed one to home in time for Lyle Lin to make a diving play to save the run and end the inning.
ASU used that momentum to break through in the sixth, loading the bases with two outs for Torkelson. After striking out with runners on base in his previous at bat, Torkelson was not to be denied in this one. The sophomore laced a two-RBI single to opposite right field to give ASU its first lead of the game at 6-4.
Vader Kooi helped carry ASU from there. After throwing 55 pitches in the spotty first three innings, Vander Kooi was dominant – needed just 37 pitches to retire the next four inning's worth of Utah batters through the seventh inning.
The Sun Devils defense did its part behind him, turning three double plays in the process to keep the pitch count down and allow Vander Kooi to pitch into the eighth inning.
ASU gave him some valuable insurance in the top of the eighth, plating another pair of runs to extend its lead to 8-4. Back to back singles in the bottom half of the frame looked to spell trouble for the Sun Devils but - after a meeting on the mound – Vander Kooi got a force out at first before ASU turned a 6-4-3 double play to get out of the frame unscathed.
Utah added a run on a sac fly in the bottom of the ninth but Vander Kooi closed things out with his fifth strikeout of the game to earn the win.
ASU will look to sweep its first road series since 2017 on Saturday, with the game scheduled to get underway at 12 p.m. AZT. A live stream will be available through the University of Utah while the game will be aired in Phoenix on NBC Sports Radio 1060 AM.