PHOENIX – The 16th-ranked Sun Devil Baseball team came out on the wrong end of a tightly contested Friday night pitcher's duel, dropping a tough 3-2 decision to top-ranked UCLA to open the three-game series at Phoenix Municipal Stadium.
Despite picking up the loss, Alec Marsh pitched 7.1 quality innings, giving up three runs on eight hits and a walk while striking out six batters. That lone walk was a pivotal moment of the game, as a pair of good-looking pitches in the seventh ended up as balls to put to go-ahead run on the base path instead of giving the ace his seventh strikeout of the game and two-outs in the inning.
Despite the loss, the junior has now allowed three runs or fewer in 28 of his last 31 appearances – dating back to his freshman year – and has a quality start in 14 of his last 20 starts since assuming the role of the team's ace midway through his sophomore year.
Brady Corrigan was efficient in relief, striking out a pair in a pivotal stretch at the end of the game to keep ASU within striking distance. The sophomore went 1.1 innings with two strikeouts and a hit but no runs allowed.
Marsh's performance was challenged by UCLA's starting pitcher, Ryan Garcia, who had the fourth best ERA in the nation heading into this game. Garcia stalled the Sun Devil offense, allowing just two runs while striking out eight and scattering six hits.
Lyle Lin and Trevor Hauver were the catalysts of the ASU offense tonight, with Lin going 3-for-3 while Hauver was 2-for-3 with an RBI.
The Bruins singled twice to start the second inning before Kevin Kendall knocked a grounder to Drew Swift, a ball that took a wicked hop that the second baseman was unable to corral at UCLA pushed the first run of the game across.
Marsh quickly got back into his zone, retiring the next eight batters to keep the game within one.
Lyle Lin got his second hit of the game in the fourth inning, a double to advance Alika Williams to third base. Gage Workman grounded out in the next at-bat but earned an RBI as Williams crossed home plate to tie the game at 1-1.
The crucial moment of the game came in the seventh as Marsh was on the wrong of a pair of ball calls to put a one-out runner on the base path. A double put runners on second and third but Marsh wasn't going quietly into the night. He picked up a strikeout for the second out of the inning and induced a ground ball that escaped just out of the reach of Alika Williams glove to bring that go-ahead run across.
Williams make an incredible play to gather himself and make a throw to home from his backside to gun down the UCLA runner trying to take an extra base, keeping ASU within a run.
However, the Bruins added an insurance run in the top of the eighth inning with a sac fly – a run that would prove to be the deciding factor of the game. The Sun Devils brought it back to a one-run game on an RBI sac-fly by Hauver as the game headed into the ninth inning.
Hunter Bishop gave the Sun Devils a chance by earning a leadoff walk, but the next three Arizona State batters were unable to capitalize. Again, ASU was on the wrong end of a borderline call, as Gage Workman watched strike three on a full-count ball that looked low and outside the strike zone for the second out of the frame.
The series continues tomorrow at 3:00 p.m. MST. Follow along with the game on Pac-12 Networks and NBC Sports 1060 AM KDUS.
Despite picking up the loss, Alec Marsh pitched 7.1 quality innings, giving up three runs on eight hits and a walk while striking out six batters. That lone walk was a pivotal moment of the game, as a pair of good-looking pitches in the seventh ended up as balls to put to go-ahead run on the base path instead of giving the ace his seventh strikeout of the game and two-outs in the inning.
Despite the loss, the junior has now allowed three runs or fewer in 28 of his last 31 appearances – dating back to his freshman year – and has a quality start in 14 of his last 20 starts since assuming the role of the team's ace midway through his sophomore year.
Brady Corrigan was efficient in relief, striking out a pair in a pivotal stretch at the end of the game to keep ASU within striking distance. The sophomore went 1.1 innings with two strikeouts and a hit but no runs allowed.
Marsh's performance was challenged by UCLA's starting pitcher, Ryan Garcia, who had the fourth best ERA in the nation heading into this game. Garcia stalled the Sun Devil offense, allowing just two runs while striking out eight and scattering six hits.
Lyle Lin and Trevor Hauver were the catalysts of the ASU offense tonight, with Lin going 3-for-3 while Hauver was 2-for-3 with an RBI.
The Bruins singled twice to start the second inning before Kevin Kendall knocked a grounder to Drew Swift, a ball that took a wicked hop that the second baseman was unable to corral at UCLA pushed the first run of the game across.
Marsh quickly got back into his zone, retiring the next eight batters to keep the game within one.
Lyle Lin got his second hit of the game in the fourth inning, a double to advance Alika Williams to third base. Gage Workman grounded out in the next at-bat but earned an RBI as Williams crossed home plate to tie the game at 1-1.
The crucial moment of the game came in the seventh as Marsh was on the wrong of a pair of ball calls to put a one-out runner on the base path. A double put runners on second and third but Marsh wasn't going quietly into the night. He picked up a strikeout for the second out of the inning and induced a ground ball that escaped just out of the reach of Alika Williams glove to bring that go-ahead run across.
Williams make an incredible play to gather himself and make a throw to home from his backside to gun down the UCLA runner trying to take an extra base, keeping ASU within a run.
However, the Bruins added an insurance run in the top of the eighth inning with a sac fly – a run that would prove to be the deciding factor of the game. The Sun Devils brought it back to a one-run game on an RBI sac-fly by Hauver as the game headed into the ninth inning.
Hunter Bishop gave the Sun Devils a chance by earning a leadoff walk, but the next three Arizona State batters were unable to capitalize. Again, ASU was on the wrong end of a borderline call, as Gage Workman watched strike three on a full-count ball that looked low and outside the strike zone for the second out of the frame.
The series continues tomorrow at 3:00 p.m. MST. Follow along with the game on Pac-12 Networks and NBC Sports 1060 AM KDUS.