PULLMAN - Sun Devil Baseball dropped its fourth-straight game decided by two runs or less, falling to Washington State, 8-6, in the series finale in Pullman on Sunday.
Nick McLain capped off his solid weekend with two hits and three RBIs to pace ASU's offense. Harris Williams scored three runs.
ASU's bullpen was largely efficient, limiting Washington state to just three earned runs over the final 6.0 innings of the game with Hunter Omlid, Matt Cornelius and Ryan Schiefer closing things out with 3.1 winnings of scoreless work.
TURNING POINT
After the Sun Devils came out with a run in the first inning but had two runners on with one out and was only manage the matchstick. Washington State made ASU pay with a pair of two-out runs in the first to take a 2-1 lead that it would never relinquish. It added two more two-out RBIs in the second and led off the third with a solo shot to take a 5-1 lead.
BIG MOMENT
The Sun Devils got back within a pair in the fifth with back-to-back two-out RBI doubles from McLain and Campos to get back within 5-3. Unfortunately, just like the first inning, WSU immediately came back in the bottom half of the frame with three straight base hits to cancel out the comeback and tacked on another later in the frame to take a commanding 8-3 lead.
FINAL STRAW
ASU again made it a game with McLain's two-out, two-run homer in the seventh to get back within three while the bullpen shut down the WSU lineup over its final three frames to give its offense a shot. WSU gifted ASU with three errors on the first two batters of the eighth to bring the tying run to the plate with no outs. ASU only managed a sac fly in the frame, however, giving the team its fourth straight loss in games decided by two runs or less.
NOTABLES
INNING BY INNING
First Inning
Williams reached on a leadoff single and Campos reached on a one-out error. A strikeout put ASU's back against the wall but Mendoza stayed hot, ripping an RBI double down the left field line to get the Sun Devils on the board first. A full count groundout stranded a pair in scoring position however and ASU settled for a 1-0 lead. Halvorson got into a jam quickly with a leadoff walk and double putting two in scoring position right out the gates. The frosh struck out the next two batters to get within an out of escaping it before WSU ripped a double down the left field line past the outstretched glove of the third baseman for two RBIs and a 2-1 Cougar lead.
Second Inning
The bottom third of the Sun Devil order quickly went down in order. Free bases undid ASU in the bottom of the frame as a HBP and stolen base allowed a run to score on a two-out single and triple to make it 4-1.
Third Inning
The Sun Devils again went down in order. A leadoff home run from the Cougars chased Halvorson and made it 5-1. Tieding got two quick outs before WSU loaded the bases with a single, walk and error before Tieding escaped the game with a flyout to center to keep ASU within four.
Fourth Inning
Mendoza drew a one-out walk but that was the only offense for ASU in the frame. An error and one-out single put Tieding in another jam but he escaped it with a flyout and a nice play at third from Demera to strand both runners.
Fifth Inning
Demera led off the frame with a hard-fought single, winning an eight-pitch at-bat. But a quick flyout and fielder's choice again stymied the momentum. But ASU salvaged the inning with back-to-back RBI doubles from McLain and Campos to get back within 5-3. The rally was short-lived as three straight leadoff hits immediately earned the two runs back and a sac bunt and groundout put WSU back up, 8-3.
Sixth Inning
Both sides went down in order.
Seventh Inning
The Sun Devils again mounted a two-out rally, getting a two-out homer from McLain to get back within 8-5. A walk and single put runners on the corners with one out and ASU went to the pen and Cornelius came into the game and did his job in the left-on-left matchup to get a strikeout and Schiefer came in to get the final out to strand both runners.
Eighth Inning
The Sun Devils went down in order. WSU drew a one-out walk which Campos swifty wiped off the basepath with a caught stealing to help Schiefer face the minimum in the frame.
Ninth Inning
Washington State gifted ASU with two errors to leadoff the eight, bringing the tying run to the plate with two in scoring position. All ASU managed was a sac fly in the frame though to cap off the WSU sweep.
ON DECK:
ASU will look to get at least one win on its road trip as it will make a pitstop in Las Vegas to take on UNLV at Las Vegas Ballpark on Monday at 5 p.m. AZT. The game will be available on the UNLV live stream.
Nick McLain capped off his solid weekend with two hits and three RBIs to pace ASU's offense. Harris Williams scored three runs.
ASU's bullpen was largely efficient, limiting Washington state to just three earned runs over the final 6.0 innings of the game with Hunter Omlid, Matt Cornelius and Ryan Schiefer closing things out with 3.1 winnings of scoreless work.
TURNING POINT
After the Sun Devils came out with a run in the first inning but had two runners on with one out and was only manage the matchstick. Washington State made ASU pay with a pair of two-out runs in the first to take a 2-1 lead that it would never relinquish. It added two more two-out RBIs in the second and led off the third with a solo shot to take a 5-1 lead.
BIG MOMENT
The Sun Devils got back within a pair in the fifth with back-to-back two-out RBI doubles from McLain and Campos to get back within 5-3. Unfortunately, just like the first inning, WSU immediately came back in the bottom half of the frame with three straight base hits to cancel out the comeback and tacked on another later in the frame to take a commanding 8-3 lead.
FINAL STRAW
ASU again made it a game with McLain's two-out, two-run homer in the seventh to get back within three while the bullpen shut down the WSU lineup over its final three frames to give its offense a shot. WSU gifted ASU with three errors on the first two batters of the eighth to bring the tying run to the plate with no outs. ASU only managed a sac fly in the frame, however, giving the team its fourth straight loss in games decided by two runs or less.
NOTABLES
- Ryan Campos' fifth-inning RBI double extended his active reached base streak to 34 games dating back to last season. He has now reached base in 104-of-113 career games (92.2 percent) with the Sun Devils.
- Campos threw out his seventh attempted base stealer in his last nine games as a catcher. He had thrown out just two in his first 11 games as catcher of the season.
- McLain's homer was ASU's first road home run of the season.
INNING BY INNING
First Inning
Williams reached on a leadoff single and Campos reached on a one-out error. A strikeout put ASU's back against the wall but Mendoza stayed hot, ripping an RBI double down the left field line to get the Sun Devils on the board first. A full count groundout stranded a pair in scoring position however and ASU settled for a 1-0 lead. Halvorson got into a jam quickly with a leadoff walk and double putting two in scoring position right out the gates. The frosh struck out the next two batters to get within an out of escaping it before WSU ripped a double down the left field line past the outstretched glove of the third baseman for two RBIs and a 2-1 Cougar lead.
Second Inning
The bottom third of the Sun Devil order quickly went down in order. Free bases undid ASU in the bottom of the frame as a HBP and stolen base allowed a run to score on a two-out single and triple to make it 4-1.
Third Inning
The Sun Devils again went down in order. A leadoff home run from the Cougars chased Halvorson and made it 5-1. Tieding got two quick outs before WSU loaded the bases with a single, walk and error before Tieding escaped the game with a flyout to center to keep ASU within four.
Fourth Inning
Mendoza drew a one-out walk but that was the only offense for ASU in the frame. An error and one-out single put Tieding in another jam but he escaped it with a flyout and a nice play at third from Demera to strand both runners.
Fifth Inning
Demera led off the frame with a hard-fought single, winning an eight-pitch at-bat. But a quick flyout and fielder's choice again stymied the momentum. But ASU salvaged the inning with back-to-back RBI doubles from McLain and Campos to get back within 5-3. The rally was short-lived as three straight leadoff hits immediately earned the two runs back and a sac bunt and groundout put WSU back up, 8-3.
Sixth Inning
Both sides went down in order.
Seventh Inning
The Sun Devils again mounted a two-out rally, getting a two-out homer from McLain to get back within 8-5. A walk and single put runners on the corners with one out and ASU went to the pen and Cornelius came into the game and did his job in the left-on-left matchup to get a strikeout and Schiefer came in to get the final out to strand both runners.
Eighth Inning
The Sun Devils went down in order. WSU drew a one-out walk which Campos swifty wiped off the basepath with a caught stealing to help Schiefer face the minimum in the frame.
Ninth Inning
Washington State gifted ASU with two errors to leadoff the eight, bringing the tying run to the plate with two in scoring position. All ASU managed was a sac fly in the frame though to cap off the WSU sweep.
ON DECK:
ASU will look to get at least one win on its road trip as it will make a pitstop in Las Vegas to take on UNLV at Las Vegas Ballpark on Monday at 5 p.m. AZT. The game will be available on the UNLV live stream.