PHOENIX - Sun Devil Baseball shook off a tough series opener for a commanding wire-to-wire 8-3 victory over Utah to even the series on Saturday at Phoenix Municipal Stadium.
ASU (16-19, 7-10) erupted for five runs in the first inning and never looked back, turning four double plays on defense and getting length out of pitchers Connor Markl and Hunter Omlid to earn the win.
The Sun Devils recorded 13 hits in the effort, paced by four from Jacob Tobias, who came up a triple short of the cycle. Kien Vu added a pair of doubles and two RBIs and Mario Demera was 3-for-4 with two RBIs. Kevin Karstetter, Vu and Demera combined to go 6-of-10 with five RBIs, four doubles and four runs scored in the 6-8 holes in the lineup.
Connor Markl wasn't at his sharpest but battled, striking out five and allowing just one earned run against the Utes (22-11, 8-6 Pac-12) in five innings of work. Hunter Omlid finished the deal with four innings with two runs allowed - both on solo homers - while also touching 97 on the radar gun to earn his first save as a Sun Devil.
TURNING POINT
It was all Sun Devils right out of the gates, thanks to Ryan Campos on both the offensive and defensive side. Campos threw out two runners in the first trying to take second on dirt ball reads before notching his Pac-12 leading 16th double of the season in the bottom half of the frame. The Sun Devils came alive with five two-out runs thanks to a sac fly from Nick McLain, an RBI double from Karstetter and a two-RBI double from Vu before Demera capped things with an RBI single and a 5-0 lead - ASU's first lead after one inning in the last 14 games in a stretch where it was outscored 23-3 in the first inning and trailed after 10 of those.
BIG MOMENT
A night removed from three errors in the field, the Sun Devil defense picked up its pitchers on Saturday, turning a season-best four double plays to stop any momentum the Utes attempted to gain in rallying back. Demera had the first big one in the third after his one-out error put two runners on with an out, scooping the next ball his way and tagging third before making the throw across the diamond to get out of the jam. After ASU had gone up 8-1, Steven Ondina turned the play of the night with a backhanded snag in the hole, a Jeter jump throw across his body to second where Karstetter made a nice turn to first. That ended up being a massive moment with the next Utah batter notching a solo shot that could have easily made the game 8-4 as opposed to 8-2.
FINAL STRAW
ASU kept the pressure on the Utah pitchers all night, tacking on a solo shot from Tobias in the fourth and getting RBIs from Demera and Camposin in the fifth for a commanding 8-1 lead. Hunter Omlid handled the rest down the stretch, allowing two runs on two solo shots over 4.0 innings of work, striking out four to one walk and touching 97 on the radar gun to earn his first save at ASU.
NOTABLES
INNING BY INNING
First Inning
Campos wiped out a leadoff single by throwing out the runner attempting to take second on a ball in the dirt. He would then do it AGAIN after a one-out walk tried to take second on almost the exact same pitch with two outs to end the top half of the frame with just the minimum coming to bat. Campos then kick-started a massive bottom half with his one-out double, taking third on an outfield error and scoring on McLain's sac fly. The Sun Devil bats came alive from there with two outs, with Karstetter and Vu notching back-to-back doubles that resulted in three runs and Demera punched another across with an RBI single.
Second Inning
Markl stranded a pair of runners to post another scoreless frame. ASU put a couple good swings on balls with Williams lacing one 108 miles per hour right at the shortstop and Campos giving one a ride to the warning track in left. ASU tried to get another two-out rally going, getting runners into scoring position and both would have scored on a Compton poke to the left side but the third baseman made a nice diving stab to save the two runs and get out of the inning, keeping it 5-0.
Third Inning
A couple of free bases on a one-out HBP and error at third put two on with one out but Demera shook off the miscue to field a nice double play and get ASU out of the frame unscathed. ASU threatened again with a a Karstetter leadoff walk and one-out Demera double to put runners on second and third with one out. Ondina lined into tough luck at first with the infield playing in and a strikeout ended the threat.
Fourth Inning
Markl ran into some trouble with a one-out walk and single but the defense picked him up with its second straight inning-ending double play from Karstetter to Ondina to Tobias. ASU finally did get some more two-out runs with a Tobias solo homer to make it 6-0.
Fifth Inning
Utah got on the board with some two-out rallying of its own, getting a double and plating it on consecutive wild pitches to make it 6-1. ASU finally hit into some good luck for once, with Vu getting a leadoff double on a mile-high pop-up that got lost in the stadium nights and blown back into fair territory about 10 feet from home plate. Demera plated him on an RBI single and went first-to-third on an Ondina hit-and-run. Campos brought another across with a groundout to give ASU an 8-1 advantage.
Sixth Inning
Omlid entered the game and got the same support as Markl as ASU turned its third double play of the game on an incredible play in the hole from Ondina at short and it proved to be a pivotal one as the next Utah batter went yard to make it 8-2 before Markl ended the frame with a punchout. ASU went down in order for the first time in the game.
Seventh Inning
Markl tacked on two strikeouts and stranded a runner in scoring position in another scoreless frame for the Devils. Vu led off with a walk and stole second on a strikeout but was doubled up on a lineout to short.
Eighth Inning
Utah tacked on another solo shot but that was the extent of the damage in the frame. ASU got a two-out error and Tobias notched his fourth hit and the team's sixth double of the day but couldn't add to its 8-3 lead.
Ninth Inning
Markl came back out looking to close things out and again got some help from his defense with the team's fourth double play of the day before ending the game and evening the series with a strikeout.
ON DECK:
ASU will try to take the series against Utah in the rubber match on Sunday with a 1 p.m. AZT first pitch. The series will be available to watch on ASU Live Stream-2 and streamed over the airwaves on KDUS AM 1060.
ASU (16-19, 7-10) erupted for five runs in the first inning and never looked back, turning four double plays on defense and getting length out of pitchers Connor Markl and Hunter Omlid to earn the win.
The Sun Devils recorded 13 hits in the effort, paced by four from Jacob Tobias, who came up a triple short of the cycle. Kien Vu added a pair of doubles and two RBIs and Mario Demera was 3-for-4 with two RBIs. Kevin Karstetter, Vu and Demera combined to go 6-of-10 with five RBIs, four doubles and four runs scored in the 6-8 holes in the lineup.
Connor Markl wasn't at his sharpest but battled, striking out five and allowing just one earned run against the Utes (22-11, 8-6 Pac-12) in five innings of work. Hunter Omlid finished the deal with four innings with two runs allowed - both on solo homers - while also touching 97 on the radar gun to earn his first save as a Sun Devil.
TURNING POINT
It was all Sun Devils right out of the gates, thanks to Ryan Campos on both the offensive and defensive side. Campos threw out two runners in the first trying to take second on dirt ball reads before notching his Pac-12 leading 16th double of the season in the bottom half of the frame. The Sun Devils came alive with five two-out runs thanks to a sac fly from Nick McLain, an RBI double from Karstetter and a two-RBI double from Vu before Demera capped things with an RBI single and a 5-0 lead - ASU's first lead after one inning in the last 14 games in a stretch where it was outscored 23-3 in the first inning and trailed after 10 of those.
BIG MOMENT
A night removed from three errors in the field, the Sun Devil defense picked up its pitchers on Saturday, turning a season-best four double plays to stop any momentum the Utes attempted to gain in rallying back. Demera had the first big one in the third after his one-out error put two runners on with an out, scooping the next ball his way and tagging third before making the throw across the diamond to get out of the jam. After ASU had gone up 8-1, Steven Ondina turned the play of the night with a backhanded snag in the hole, a Jeter jump throw across his body to second where Karstetter made a nice turn to first. That ended up being a massive moment with the next Utah batter notching a solo shot that could have easily made the game 8-4 as opposed to 8-2.
FINAL STRAW
ASU kept the pressure on the Utah pitchers all night, tacking on a solo shot from Tobias in the fourth and getting RBIs from Demera and Camposin in the fifth for a commanding 8-1 lead. Hunter Omlid handled the rest down the stretch, allowing two runs on two solo shots over 4.0 innings of work, striking out four to one walk and touching 97 on the radar gun to earn his first save at ASU.
NOTABLES
- Ryan Campos' first inning double means he has now reached base safely in 114-of-124 career games (91.9 percent) with the Sun Devils.
- The double was also his Pac-12-leading 16th of the season, a total good for the Top-10 nationally as well.
- Campos has thrown out 12 of the last 20 baserunners attempting to steal on him with his two today. He had done so on just two of the first 19 of the season. While not getting credit for catching them stealing as they came on dirt ball reads, Campos added two more defensive assists in the first inning to bring his total to 27 total for the season, which would tie him with Stanford's Malcom Moore for the most in the Pac-12 this season.
- Utah starter Merit Jones had not given up more than than three earned runs in a GAME this season over seven starts and 37.0 innings pitched. ASU tagged him for five in the first. He entered the game with a 3.89 ERA.
- Jones had also only given up eighth doubles all season before allowing four today.
- ASU led after the first inning for the first time since a 2-0 lead on March 22 at Washington State. It was just the second time in the 13 games since then that ASU didn't allow an opponent run in the first inning as well.
- This season, ASU has now posted 28 3+ run innings and 18 4+ run innings. ASU has six innings with 5+ runs after its five-run first today.
- Connor Markl gave ASU 5.0 innings of work for his fifth-straight start with 5.0+ innings pitched - the longest stretch of his career.
- ASU reached double digit hits for the 21st time in 35 games this season, finishing with 13 today.
- The Sun Devils had just their third game of the season yesterday where it didn't record a double after entering the weekend fifth in the country in the category. ASU made up for that in a loud way with six doubles on Saturday.
INNING BY INNING
First Inning
Campos wiped out a leadoff single by throwing out the runner attempting to take second on a ball in the dirt. He would then do it AGAIN after a one-out walk tried to take second on almost the exact same pitch with two outs to end the top half of the frame with just the minimum coming to bat. Campos then kick-started a massive bottom half with his one-out double, taking third on an outfield error and scoring on McLain's sac fly. The Sun Devil bats came alive from there with two outs, with Karstetter and Vu notching back-to-back doubles that resulted in three runs and Demera punched another across with an RBI single.
Second Inning
Markl stranded a pair of runners to post another scoreless frame. ASU put a couple good swings on balls with Williams lacing one 108 miles per hour right at the shortstop and Campos giving one a ride to the warning track in left. ASU tried to get another two-out rally going, getting runners into scoring position and both would have scored on a Compton poke to the left side but the third baseman made a nice diving stab to save the two runs and get out of the inning, keeping it 5-0.
Third Inning
A couple of free bases on a one-out HBP and error at third put two on with one out but Demera shook off the miscue to field a nice double play and get ASU out of the frame unscathed. ASU threatened again with a a Karstetter leadoff walk and one-out Demera double to put runners on second and third with one out. Ondina lined into tough luck at first with the infield playing in and a strikeout ended the threat.
Fourth Inning
Markl ran into some trouble with a one-out walk and single but the defense picked him up with its second straight inning-ending double play from Karstetter to Ondina to Tobias. ASU finally did get some more two-out runs with a Tobias solo homer to make it 6-0.
Fifth Inning
Utah got on the board with some two-out rallying of its own, getting a double and plating it on consecutive wild pitches to make it 6-1. ASU finally hit into some good luck for once, with Vu getting a leadoff double on a mile-high pop-up that got lost in the stadium nights and blown back into fair territory about 10 feet from home plate. Demera plated him on an RBI single and went first-to-third on an Ondina hit-and-run. Campos brought another across with a groundout to give ASU an 8-1 advantage.
Sixth Inning
Omlid entered the game and got the same support as Markl as ASU turned its third double play of the game on an incredible play in the hole from Ondina at short and it proved to be a pivotal one as the next Utah batter went yard to make it 8-2 before Markl ended the frame with a punchout. ASU went down in order for the first time in the game.
Seventh Inning
Markl tacked on two strikeouts and stranded a runner in scoring position in another scoreless frame for the Devils. Vu led off with a walk and stole second on a strikeout but was doubled up on a lineout to short.
Eighth Inning
Utah tacked on another solo shot but that was the extent of the damage in the frame. ASU got a two-out error and Tobias notched his fourth hit and the team's sixth double of the day but couldn't add to its 8-3 lead.
Ninth Inning
Markl came back out looking to close things out and again got some help from his defense with the team's fourth double play of the day before ending the game and evening the series with a strikeout.
ON DECK:
ASU will try to take the series against Utah in the rubber match on Sunday with a 1 p.m. AZT first pitch. The series will be available to watch on ASU Live Stream-2 and streamed over the airwaves on KDUS AM 1060.