CORVALLIS - Sun Devil Baseball struggled to get the bats going and No. 5 Oregon State pulled away down the stretch to clinch the series in Corvallis with a 9-1 win on Saturday afternoon.
The Sun Devils (15-16, 6-8 Pac-12) couldn't solve Beaver starter Jacob Kmatz, who went 8.1 innings facing the minimum before Eamonn Lance finally broke through with a pinch hit solo homer in the ninth to break up the shutout.
ASU had three hits prior to the Lance homer, all of which wiped off the bases by double plays or poor baserunning, hence Kmatz entering the ninth with a shutout and under 80 pitches through 24 batters.
Connor Markl shook off a shaky first inning where Oregon State plated two runs, playing incredibly efficiently prior to one mistake in the fifth, resulting in a two-run homer and a 4-0 Beaver lead. OSU tacked on five runs in the bottom of the eighth to make the final score more unsightly than the game was for the majority.
Markl posted his fourth straight game with over five innings pitched, going 5.2 innings with six strikeouts with four runs allowed.
TURNING POINT
With ASU's bats struggling as they were, Oregon State's two-run first proved to be the difference throughout the contest. ASU looked to try to rally in the top of the second with a leadoff double from Jacob Tobias, but he was wiped off the bases after getting caught in no man's land on a grounder to second. A double play ended the inning in what proved to be ASU's only viable offensive threat on the afternoon.
BIG MOMENT
Connor Markl settled in after the first, posting three scoreless innings and retiring seven straight prior to a leadoff bunt single in the fifth. Another single put the runner in scoring position but Ryan Campos caught him stealing at third for the first out. The play only delayed the Beaver offense though, as Markl made his first mistake since the first and hung one over the plate to OSU's Gavin Turley, who blistered one over the left field wall to make it a 4-0 game.
FINAL STRAW
ASU kept it with those four runs until the eighth before Oregon State erupted for five runs to effectively put the game out of reach thanks to Kmatz's impressive effort. The Beaver right-hander had faced the minimum through 8.1 innings before Eamonn Lance notched a pinch-hit solo homer in the ninth to break up the shutout. Kmatz shook off an error on the next batter to get the final outs and post the first complete game against ASU this season.
NOTABLES
INNING BY INNING
First Inning
The Sun Devils went down in order to lead off the game. ASU fell into a quick 2-0 hole behind a leadoff walk, two singles and a sac fly but Markl was able to settle in for three straight outs to keep the score reasonable
Second Inning
Tobias led off with a double but ended up getting caught between bases on a Compton chopper back to the pitches, being called out going back to second after replay review. A double play led to ASU bringing just the minimum to the plate in the frame. The Beavers loaded the bases with one out but the Sun Devils posted a massive defensive play on a shallow ball to right field with McLain hosing the runner trying to take home after tagging up on a nice play at the plate by Campos.
Third Inning
Vu and Demera each gave balls a ride to deep left and deep right for loud outs with a flare to right by Ondina meaning ASU only put the minimum at the plate the first time through the lineup. Markl posted the first 1-2-3 inning of the weekend for the Sun Devil pitchers.
Fourth Inning
The top of the Sun Devil order went down in order for the second time. Markl settled into a nice groove, retiring his seventh straight batter in another 1-2-3 frame.
Fifth Inning
Mendoza poked a two-out pitch down the right field line that was bobbled but eventually caught on the run by the right fielder for another 1-2-3 frame for the Kmatz. Campos threw out a runner taking third after a pair of leadoff singles but a two-run homer spoiled the inning and put Oregon State up 4-0
Sixth Inning
Ondina finally picked up ASU's second hit of the game with a two-out single to center as the rain started to come down in Corvallis but was thrown out trying to take second on a ball in the dirt as Kmatz again continued to face the minimum in the game. After a leadoff HBP, Markl retired two by way of strikeout before handing the ball off the Halvorson
Seventh Inning
Williams led off the frame with an infield single, beating out the throw on a slow roller to third but a 3-6-3 double play continued ASU's offensive woes with a strikeout forcing another minimum inning. Halvorson worked a 1-2-3 frame, capped by a sweet two-out diving catch from Vu in center field to keep the score at 4-0.
Eighth Inning
ASU went down in order yet again. After a strikeout to leadoff the inning, the wheels came off for Halvorson who walked the net batter and then gave up a two run homer. A two-RBI triple with two outs would chase him from the game and a Travis Bazzana single capped a five-run frame for the Beavers to make it 9-0.
Ninth Inning
Kmatz returned for the final inning and got the first out as he faced the minimum through 25 outs before Lance broke up the shutout with his third homer in the last six games. Kroepel reached on a fielding error but a strikeout and foul out would complete the game for Kmatz - the first against the Sun Devils this year.
ON DECK:
ASU will look to salvage at least a game against fifth-ranked Oregon State Beavers tomorrow at 12 p.m.. AZT. The game will be available via the Pac-12 Insider and Oregon State Live Stream It will also be available over the local airwaves on KDUS 1060 AM.
The Sun Devils (15-16, 6-8 Pac-12) couldn't solve Beaver starter Jacob Kmatz, who went 8.1 innings facing the minimum before Eamonn Lance finally broke through with a pinch hit solo homer in the ninth to break up the shutout.
ASU had three hits prior to the Lance homer, all of which wiped off the bases by double plays or poor baserunning, hence Kmatz entering the ninth with a shutout and under 80 pitches through 24 batters.
Connor Markl shook off a shaky first inning where Oregon State plated two runs, playing incredibly efficiently prior to one mistake in the fifth, resulting in a two-run homer and a 4-0 Beaver lead. OSU tacked on five runs in the bottom of the eighth to make the final score more unsightly than the game was for the majority.
Markl posted his fourth straight game with over five innings pitched, going 5.2 innings with six strikeouts with four runs allowed.
TURNING POINT
With ASU's bats struggling as they were, Oregon State's two-run first proved to be the difference throughout the contest. ASU looked to try to rally in the top of the second with a leadoff double from Jacob Tobias, but he was wiped off the bases after getting caught in no man's land on a grounder to second. A double play ended the inning in what proved to be ASU's only viable offensive threat on the afternoon.
BIG MOMENT
Connor Markl settled in after the first, posting three scoreless innings and retiring seven straight prior to a leadoff bunt single in the fifth. Another single put the runner in scoring position but Ryan Campos caught him stealing at third for the first out. The play only delayed the Beaver offense though, as Markl made his first mistake since the first and hung one over the plate to OSU's Gavin Turley, who blistered one over the left field wall to make it a 4-0 game.
FINAL STRAW
ASU kept it with those four runs until the eighth before Oregon State erupted for five runs to effectively put the game out of reach thanks to Kmatz's impressive effort. The Beaver right-hander had faced the minimum through 8.1 innings before Eamonn Lance notched a pinch-hit solo homer in the ninth to break up the shutout. Kmatz shook off an error on the next batter to get the final outs and post the first complete game against ASU this season.
NOTABLES
- Ryan Campos' streak of reaching base in 40 straight games dating back to last season came to an end with his 0-for-4 outing today, as did his team-leading nine-game hitting streak. He has now reached base safely in 110-of-120 career games (91.6 percent) with the Sun Devils.
- Campos has thrown out 10 of the last 18 runners attempting to steal a base against him after getting one today after doing so on just 2 of the first 19 attempts.
- Eamonn Lance's ninth-inning homer was his third in the last six games.
INNING BY INNING
First Inning
The Sun Devils went down in order to lead off the game. ASU fell into a quick 2-0 hole behind a leadoff walk, two singles and a sac fly but Markl was able to settle in for three straight outs to keep the score reasonable
Second Inning
Tobias led off with a double but ended up getting caught between bases on a Compton chopper back to the pitches, being called out going back to second after replay review. A double play led to ASU bringing just the minimum to the plate in the frame. The Beavers loaded the bases with one out but the Sun Devils posted a massive defensive play on a shallow ball to right field with McLain hosing the runner trying to take home after tagging up on a nice play at the plate by Campos.
Third Inning
Vu and Demera each gave balls a ride to deep left and deep right for loud outs with a flare to right by Ondina meaning ASU only put the minimum at the plate the first time through the lineup. Markl posted the first 1-2-3 inning of the weekend for the Sun Devil pitchers.
Fourth Inning
The top of the Sun Devil order went down in order for the second time. Markl settled into a nice groove, retiring his seventh straight batter in another 1-2-3 frame.
Fifth Inning
Mendoza poked a two-out pitch down the right field line that was bobbled but eventually caught on the run by the right fielder for another 1-2-3 frame for the Kmatz. Campos threw out a runner taking third after a pair of leadoff singles but a two-run homer spoiled the inning and put Oregon State up 4-0
Sixth Inning
Ondina finally picked up ASU's second hit of the game with a two-out single to center as the rain started to come down in Corvallis but was thrown out trying to take second on a ball in the dirt as Kmatz again continued to face the minimum in the game. After a leadoff HBP, Markl retired two by way of strikeout before handing the ball off the Halvorson
Seventh Inning
Williams led off the frame with an infield single, beating out the throw on a slow roller to third but a 3-6-3 double play continued ASU's offensive woes with a strikeout forcing another minimum inning. Halvorson worked a 1-2-3 frame, capped by a sweet two-out diving catch from Vu in center field to keep the score at 4-0.
Eighth Inning
ASU went down in order yet again. After a strikeout to leadoff the inning, the wheels came off for Halvorson who walked the net batter and then gave up a two run homer. A two-RBI triple with two outs would chase him from the game and a Travis Bazzana single capped a five-run frame for the Beavers to make it 9-0.
Ninth Inning
Kmatz returned for the final inning and got the first out as he faced the minimum through 25 outs before Lance broke up the shutout with his third homer in the last six games. Kroepel reached on a fielding error but a strikeout and foul out would complete the game for Kmatz - the first against the Sun Devils this year.
ON DECK:
ASU will look to salvage at least a game against fifth-ranked Oregon State Beavers tomorrow at 12 p.m.. AZT. The game will be available via the Pac-12 Insider and Oregon State Live Stream It will also be available over the local airwaves on KDUS 1060 AM.