LOS ANGELES – Sun Devil Baseball dropped a pitcher's duel to USC, 2-0, on Saturday at Dedeaux Field in Los Angeles.
ASU got its best game from a starter this season from Khristian Curtis, who went a career-high 7.0 innings without allowing a run – the longest outing by a Sun Devil pitcher this season. He scattered five hits while striking out five and allowing just one walk.
But th offense only managed three hits and USC scratched across two runs in the eighth inning of closer Owen Stevenson behind a two-out, bases loaded hit-by-pitch and a walk and that would prove to be the only scoring either team would need.
Jacob Tobias extended his hitting streak to an ASU season-best 13 games but there was little in the way of offensive highlights outside that.
TURNING POINT
A one-out single from Ryan Campos in a scoreless tie in the seventh brought ASU's most dangerous hitters to the plate in Luke Keaschall and Jacob Tobias, but a flyout and a groundout would end the threat
BIG MOMENT
Owen Stevenson struggled with his command after entering the game in the eighth, loading the bases with two outs despite allowing just one hit. After falling behind 3-0 in the count, Stevenson battled back with two strikes but plunked the batter on the payoff pitch, leading to what would be the only run USC would need. He walked the next batter on four pitches to bring across another.
FINAL STRAW
Kien Vu drew a leadoff walk to turn the order around to the top of the lineup in the bottom of the ninth but the USC closer struck out the side to keep ASU from battling back.
ON DECK
The Sun Devils will look to salvage the series tomorrow with first pitch scheduled at 1 p.m. AZT. The game will be available via the USC Live Stream and available over Phoenix airwaves on KDUS 1060 AM.
INNING BY INNING
First Inning
The Sun Devils went down in order. ASU faced trouble early with a leadoff HBP followed by a single and walk to load the bases. Jacob Tobias made a nice defensive play on an infield ground ball to get the force at home and Khristian Curtis got a backwards K to keep USC off the board.
Second Inning
ASU went down on just four pitches, despite a hard shot from Luke Keaschall to the warning track down the left field line. Curtis faced a jam again with a pair of one-out singles that would get to second and third on a groundout but Nu;u Contrades made a nice defensive play, charging in and making the throw across his body for the third out and another scoreless frame
Third Inning
Isaiah Jackson notched a one-out double but would end up stranded at third. Curtis responded with his first 1-2-3 frame of the game.
Fourth Inning
Hill was thrown out on a great charging bare-handed play by the USC third baseman and Ryan Campos sliced a hard-hit ball into the left center field gap that was played well by the USC left fielder as hits just continued to evade the Sun Devils. Curtis worked around a one-out single with his third inning-ending looking strikeout of the game to keep things 0-0.
Fifth Inning
Jacob Tobias led off with a single but a double play instantly wiped it off the board and a ground out led to the minimum coming to the plate in the frame. Curtis worked another 1-2-3 frame as the two teams went mast the halfway point just one hour from the first pitch in the pitcher's duel.
Sixth Inning
The Sun Devils went down in order. Curtis responded with a 1-2-3 frame of his own for his eighth straight batter retired.
Seventh Inning
Campos notched a one-out single for just ASU's third hit of the game but ASU was unable to do anything with it. Curtis got the first out of the frame before a one-out single ended the streak at nine straight outs. But a strikeout put two outs on the board and then Ryan Campos made an absolutely perfect throw to Luke Hill as the runner attempted to steal second for the third out.
Eighth Inning
Wyatt Crenshaw ranked a ball deep down the right field line but it would sail just a couple feet wide of the foul pole for a loud strike and again ASU would end up going down in order. Owen Stevenson struggled with his command after entering the game in the eighth, loading the bases with two outs despite allowing just one hit. After falling behind 3-0 in the count, Stevenson battled back with two strikes but plunked the batter on the payoff pitch, leading to what would be the only run USC would need. He walked the next batter on four pitches to bring across another making it 2-0
Ninth Inning
Kien Vu drew a leadoff walk to turn the order around to the top of the lineup in the bottom of the ninth but the USC closer struck out the side to keep ASU from battling back.
ASU got its best game from a starter this season from Khristian Curtis, who went a career-high 7.0 innings without allowing a run – the longest outing by a Sun Devil pitcher this season. He scattered five hits while striking out five and allowing just one walk.
But th offense only managed three hits and USC scratched across two runs in the eighth inning of closer Owen Stevenson behind a two-out, bases loaded hit-by-pitch and a walk and that would prove to be the only scoring either team would need.
Jacob Tobias extended his hitting streak to an ASU season-best 13 games but there was little in the way of offensive highlights outside that.
TURNING POINT
A one-out single from Ryan Campos in a scoreless tie in the seventh brought ASU's most dangerous hitters to the plate in Luke Keaschall and Jacob Tobias, but a flyout and a groundout would end the threat
BIG MOMENT
Owen Stevenson struggled with his command after entering the game in the eighth, loading the bases with two outs despite allowing just one hit. After falling behind 3-0 in the count, Stevenson battled back with two strikes but plunked the batter on the payoff pitch, leading to what would be the only run USC would need. He walked the next batter on four pitches to bring across another.
FINAL STRAW
Kien Vu drew a leadoff walk to turn the order around to the top of the lineup in the bottom of the ninth but the USC closer struck out the side to keep ASU from battling back.
ON DECK
The Sun Devils will look to salvage the series tomorrow with first pitch scheduled at 1 p.m. AZT. The game will be available via the USC Live Stream and available over Phoenix airwaves on KDUS 1060 AM.
INNING BY INNING
First Inning
The Sun Devils went down in order. ASU faced trouble early with a leadoff HBP followed by a single and walk to load the bases. Jacob Tobias made a nice defensive play on an infield ground ball to get the force at home and Khristian Curtis got a backwards K to keep USC off the board.
Second Inning
ASU went down on just four pitches, despite a hard shot from Luke Keaschall to the warning track down the left field line. Curtis faced a jam again with a pair of one-out singles that would get to second and third on a groundout but Nu;u Contrades made a nice defensive play, charging in and making the throw across his body for the third out and another scoreless frame
Third Inning
Isaiah Jackson notched a one-out double but would end up stranded at third. Curtis responded with his first 1-2-3 frame of the game.
Fourth Inning
Hill was thrown out on a great charging bare-handed play by the USC third baseman and Ryan Campos sliced a hard-hit ball into the left center field gap that was played well by the USC left fielder as hits just continued to evade the Sun Devils. Curtis worked around a one-out single with his third inning-ending looking strikeout of the game to keep things 0-0.
Fifth Inning
Jacob Tobias led off with a single but a double play instantly wiped it off the board and a ground out led to the minimum coming to the plate in the frame. Curtis worked another 1-2-3 frame as the two teams went mast the halfway point just one hour from the first pitch in the pitcher's duel.
Sixth Inning
The Sun Devils went down in order. Curtis responded with a 1-2-3 frame of his own for his eighth straight batter retired.
Seventh Inning
Campos notched a one-out single for just ASU's third hit of the game but ASU was unable to do anything with it. Curtis got the first out of the frame before a one-out single ended the streak at nine straight outs. But a strikeout put two outs on the board and then Ryan Campos made an absolutely perfect throw to Luke Hill as the runner attempted to steal second for the third out.
Eighth Inning
Wyatt Crenshaw ranked a ball deep down the right field line but it would sail just a couple feet wide of the foul pole for a loud strike and again ASU would end up going down in order. Owen Stevenson struggled with his command after entering the game in the eighth, loading the bases with two outs despite allowing just one hit. After falling behind 3-0 in the count, Stevenson battled back with two strikes but plunked the batter on the payoff pitch, leading to what would be the only run USC would need. He walked the next batter on four pitches to bring across another making it 2-0
Ninth Inning
Kien Vu drew a leadoff walk to turn the order around to the top of the lineup in the bottom of the ninth but the USC closer struck out the side to keep ASU from battling back.