PHOENIX - Searching for their first series sweep of the season, the Sun Devil Baseball (14-14, 6-6) offense delivered, hitting three home runs in their 9-6 victory over California (15-10, 5-7) for the team's fourth consecutive win.
Cal scored one run in the first and second inning to take an early 2-0 lead while the Sun Devil offense only managed one hit through the first three innings before coming to life in the fourth in a big way.
Jacob Tobias and Eamonn Lance led off the bottom of the fourth inning with back-to-back home runs to tie the game 2-2. The suddenly scorching ASU offense was not done. With two outs and nobody on, ASU loaded the bases and Ryan Campos smacked his first pitch off the left-center field wall, driving home three more runs to give the Sun Devils a 5-2 lead. Nick McLain hit a single to center field to score Campos and punctuate ASU's six-run inning.
The Sun Devils carried their hot bats into the fifth inning and drove two more runs across to make it 8-2. Keon Vu sparked another two-out rally by drawing a walk with the bases empty. Mario Demera doubled to left center to score Vu and Ondina singled to right to score Demera.
The Golden Bears clawed their way back into the game, scoring six runs in the sixth inning to make it 8-6. With the Sun Devils lead down to just two runs, Vu pulled a hanging slider for a solo home run in the bottom of the seventh for his first long ball of the year to push ASU's advantage to 9-6.
Eight different Sun Devils drew a hit in the game with Steven Ondina producing the only multi-hit game of the day.
Connor Markl posted his third-straight solid start, allowing just one earned run in 5.0 innings, striking out six with just one walk allowed. Jonah Giblin shook off some tough luck in the sixth to give ASU 3.1 innings of relief while Ryan Schiefer earned his second save of the year.
TURNING POINT
After surrendering two runs through the first two frames, starter Connor Markl found his groove and threw three shutout innings. He finished with six strikeouts, scattering seven hits but allowing just one earned run across five innings of work to earn his second win of the year.
The Sun Devils' bats eventually came to life in the fourth inning, thanks to consecutive home runs from Tobias and Lance that pulled ASU even with Cal. The Golden Bears nearly escaped the inning after getting two quick outs but Demera kept the inning alive by reaching first on a throwing error. Ondina knocked a single past the Golden Bears third baseman and Harris Williams was hit by a pitch to load the bases. This set the stage for Campos's three-run double that gave the Sun Devil's their first lead of the game.
BIG MOMENT
After putting six on the board in the fourth, the Sun Devils gave themselves two additional insurance runs an inning later thanks to another two-out rally. Vu worked a full count and reached first base after taking the fourth ball. Demera didn't show the same patience, drilling the first pitch to left center for a double to put ASU ahead 7-2. Ondina slapped another single for the second-consecutive inning to give the Sun Devils their biggest lead of the day ahead by six runs.
FINAL STRAW
ASU saw their 8-2 advantage nearly slip away in the sixth inning after Cal scored four runs. With momentum now on their side, the Golden Bears retired the side in the bottom-half of the inning.
ASU reliever Jonah Giblin settled in on the mound, and didn't surrender a hit in the seventh. The first two Sun Devil batters were also put down in the bottom of the seventh, but Vu delivered yet again with two outs. He crushed his second pitch over the right field wall for his first homer of the season, extending ASU's lead to 9-6.
Giblin made quick work of the Cal side in the eight, retiring the side on just seven pitches. The redshirt junior went 3.1 innings and finished with two strikeouts. Bloomquist entrusted Ryan Schiefer to secure the final two outs in the bottom of the ninth. The right-hander struck out the next batter on three pitches and Vu made a diving catch in center field to clinch the game.
NOTABLES
Head Coach Willie Bloomquist
Opening Statement:
"That was big, you know, Connor [Markl] coming up and giving us five innings there was outstanding - falling behind early but keeping things small. And then Gibby's [Jonah Giblin] first inning didn't go as planned. But he was able to bounce back. The ball was coming out great. He just, you know, had a little bad luck there with the swirling wind double there to start things off. And you know, he's got to mentally put that behind him and not let that snowball on him. But he did a good job of bouncing back the next two innings and given us to two big zeros and got the first out there in the ninth off a kid that I didn't know was human coming into today. LomaVita [Caleb] was torturing us every day and swinging the bat really good. But we were able to figure out a way to get himout today. So that was a big out and then Schiefer [Ryan] was able to finish."
Junior pitcher Jonah Giblin
On what's changed during the team's four-game winning streak:
"I just think as a whole, our mentality has shifted a lot. And last weekend was a huge eye opener for us. Just to get back on track. And like Kien [Vu] said, go have fun, go play loose. And I think that's the huge change that we've made, week to week even. So, I think the games in Pullman, obviously, didn't go our way. But I think we all knew that that wasn't going to be the end of our season. So it was kind of just flushing it. And then I think UNLV was a great game to kind of remember that we can win. And it's been up from there since then."
Senior pitcher Connor Markl
On the team gaining confidence over the last week:
"I think we're having a lot more fun than what we've been doing. I think from at least my point of view, everyone looks a lot more confident. When you have confidence on your side, baseball is fun. You know, you can do anything you put your mind to, and I'm seeing a lot of confidence from the hitters and from the pitchers. We're not letting small things get to us. And when we do the small things right, it makes it a pretty fun ride."
Sophomore center fielder Kien Vu
On his approach that's allowed him to be successful off the bench this season:
"I'd say locking in halfway through the game when I do need to take an at-bat isn't so much a serious lock- in. I feel like I'm engaged the entire game from the first pitch to the last pitch. So that's kind of what I do to stay locked in. I literally just try to have fun. So I'll have fun. The fifth, sixth inning rolls around and I know that I might be pinch-hitting. So I'll take a few swings, stretch the legs. But we hit everyday. So I just have to trust myself and roll out there. I'm not I'm not pinch hitting to walk. So that's kind of my approach. So I go up there and just swing."
INNING BY INNING
First Inning
Cal walked and hit a single to right field to put runners on first and second base to open. Markl struckout the third Gold Bears batter swinging for the first out. A single to shallow left field scored the first Cal run and throwing error helped both runners advance to scoring positions. A groundout to third gave the Sun Devils two outs. Cal hit a shallow grounder to first base. The ASU throw to first went wide of the first baseman, but the umpire ruled the runner interfered with the catch for the final out. Williams drew a leadoff walk, but Cal recorded three consecutive outs to end the inning.
Second Inning
Markl struckout the first two Gold Bears batters before surrendering a pair of two-out singles to put runners on the corners. An ASU fielding error allowed the runner on third to score and Cal took a 2-0 lead. Mendoza smacked a one-out double for ASU's first hit of the day. His shallow fly ball to right field was just beyond the reach of the outstretched Cal right fielder. With two outs, Demera hit a deep shot to straight-away center, but the Cal center fielder made a jumping catch against the wall for the final out.
Third Inning
The first two Cal batters were retired via a groundout to second and a strikeout. Cal hit a two-out single for the second consecutive inning to right field. Markl's fifth strikeout of the game ended the inning. The first two Sun Devil batters were put down from a flyout to center field and groundout to short. Campos drew a two-out walk but a groundout to short put an end to the rally.
Fourth Inning
Cal hit a leadoff single to center field. McLain raced down a shallow fly ball in right field for the first out and Markl's pickoff throw to first tallied the second. Cal hit a two-out double to left-center but a fly out ended the top-inning. The Sun Devils hit back-to-back home runs to tie the game at 2-2. Tobias hit a big fly over the left field wall to leadoff the inning and Lance followed up with a deep blast to center. Unlike his second-inning shot to the warning track, this one easily cleared the fences. Demera sparked a two-out rally after reaching first on a Cal throwing error. Ondina hit a single past the Golden Bears third baseman and advanced to second on the play. Williams was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Campos drilled his first pitch off the left-center field wall to clear the bases. All three runners scored to put the Sun Devils ahead 5-2 for their first lead of the game. McLain ripped a line drive single to center field to score Campos and extend ASU's advantage to four runs.
Fifth Inning
Markl retired the side and collected his sixth strike out of the day in the process. Vu walked to spark a two-out rally. Demera ripped a double to left center to score Vu and put the Sun Devils ahead by five-runs. Ondina knocked a single to right field to score Demera and push the lead to 8-2.
Sixth Inning
Cal hit a shallow blooper down the third base line that fell for a double. A walk and bunt-single loaded the bases. The Golden Bears drove a run home to make it 8-3 after getting hit by a pitch. With the bases still loaded, Jonah Giblin struck out the next batter for the first out. Cal put two more runs on the board from a single to right field. A fielder's choice scored another run to make it a 8-6 game. The Sun Devils were put down in order.
Seventh Inning
In his second inning of work, Giblin settled down and put away three of the first four Cal batters. The first two Sun Devil batters were put down. Vu stepped into the box and hit his second pitch over the right field wall. His solo shot extended ASU's lead to 9-6.
Eighth Inning
Giblin picked up where he left off and only needed seven pitches to retire the Golden Bears in order. All three Sun Devils batters were also put away.
Ninth Inning
Cal's leadoff man grounded out to short. The second batter walked and Bloomquist made a call to his bullpen, bringing in Schiefer for the final two outs. Cal drew another walk to put two runners on with one out. Schiefer responded by striking out the next batter looking on three pitches. The Golden Bears hit a line drive to center, but Vu made a diving catch for the final out.
ON DECK:
ASU will look to close out the homestand with a win against GCU on Tuesday. First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m. AZT. The game will be available on Pac-12 Insider and the broadcast can be found at the following link. Tickets are on sale now.
Cal scored one run in the first and second inning to take an early 2-0 lead while the Sun Devil offense only managed one hit through the first three innings before coming to life in the fourth in a big way.
Jacob Tobias and Eamonn Lance led off the bottom of the fourth inning with back-to-back home runs to tie the game 2-2. The suddenly scorching ASU offense was not done. With two outs and nobody on, ASU loaded the bases and Ryan Campos smacked his first pitch off the left-center field wall, driving home three more runs to give the Sun Devils a 5-2 lead. Nick McLain hit a single to center field to score Campos and punctuate ASU's six-run inning.
The Sun Devils carried their hot bats into the fifth inning and drove two more runs across to make it 8-2. Keon Vu sparked another two-out rally by drawing a walk with the bases empty. Mario Demera doubled to left center to score Vu and Ondina singled to right to score Demera.
The Golden Bears clawed their way back into the game, scoring six runs in the sixth inning to make it 8-6. With the Sun Devils lead down to just two runs, Vu pulled a hanging slider for a solo home run in the bottom of the seventh for his first long ball of the year to push ASU's advantage to 9-6.
Eight different Sun Devils drew a hit in the game with Steven Ondina producing the only multi-hit game of the day.
Connor Markl posted his third-straight solid start, allowing just one earned run in 5.0 innings, striking out six with just one walk allowed. Jonah Giblin shook off some tough luck in the sixth to give ASU 3.1 innings of relief while Ryan Schiefer earned his second save of the year.
TURNING POINT
After surrendering two runs through the first two frames, starter Connor Markl found his groove and threw three shutout innings. He finished with six strikeouts, scattering seven hits but allowing just one earned run across five innings of work to earn his second win of the year.
The Sun Devils' bats eventually came to life in the fourth inning, thanks to consecutive home runs from Tobias and Lance that pulled ASU even with Cal. The Golden Bears nearly escaped the inning after getting two quick outs but Demera kept the inning alive by reaching first on a throwing error. Ondina knocked a single past the Golden Bears third baseman and Harris Williams was hit by a pitch to load the bases. This set the stage for Campos's three-run double that gave the Sun Devil's their first lead of the game.
BIG MOMENT
After putting six on the board in the fourth, the Sun Devils gave themselves two additional insurance runs an inning later thanks to another two-out rally. Vu worked a full count and reached first base after taking the fourth ball. Demera didn't show the same patience, drilling the first pitch to left center for a double to put ASU ahead 7-2. Ondina slapped another single for the second-consecutive inning to give the Sun Devils their biggest lead of the day ahead by six runs.
FINAL STRAW
ASU saw their 8-2 advantage nearly slip away in the sixth inning after Cal scored four runs. With momentum now on their side, the Golden Bears retired the side in the bottom-half of the inning.
ASU reliever Jonah Giblin settled in on the mound, and didn't surrender a hit in the seventh. The first two Sun Devil batters were also put down in the bottom of the seventh, but Vu delivered yet again with two outs. He crushed his second pitch over the right field wall for his first homer of the season, extending ASU's lead to 9-6.
Giblin made quick work of the Cal side in the eight, retiring the side on just seven pitches. The redshirt junior went 3.1 innings and finished with two strikeouts. Bloomquist entrusted Ryan Schiefer to secure the final two outs in the bottom of the ninth. The right-hander struck out the next batter on three pitches and Vu made a diving catch in center field to clinch the game.
NOTABLES
- Ryan Campos' third-inning walk extended his active reached base streak to 38 games dating back to last season. He has now reached base in 108-of-117 career games (92.3 percent) with the Sun Devils.
- Mario Demera led the Sun Devils with a .417 average in the series on 5-of-12 hitting, adding six RBIs (second on the team) and playing errorless ball at third base on the weekend.
- Cal entered the weekend Top-60 in the country in ERA (4.66) and Top-50 with 10.9 strikeouts per game. The Sun Devils sent them home with a 10.12 ERA for the weekend while striking out a grand total of just 16 times (5.3 per game).
- This season, ASU has posted 23 3+ run innings and 15 4+ run innings after the team's six-run fourth today.
- After struggling following his return from that surgery, Nick McLain has had a monster seven-game stretch, batting 11-of-27 (.407) with eight extra base hits for a .963 slugging percentage, leading the team with 15 RBIs - four more than any other player. He has three homers, four doubles and a triple in the stretch. He added an RBI single to that tally today, posting a .515 OBP during the tear.
- The Sun Devils have trailed at some point in 29 of the team's last 35 victories dating back to last season. They have trailed in all but two of their 14 wins this season.
- At the midway point of the regular season, ASU broke even at 10-10 in games decided by three runs or less this season. It won 18 such games a season ago.
- Cal's first inning run marked the sixth consecutive game that ASU's opponent scored in the first inning, dating back to the opening game of the Washington State series on Mar. 22. ASU rallied from that deficit in all four games this week.
- Cal had been absolutely deadly in innings 7-9 all season and the first two games of this weekend were no exception. Cal entered the day having outscored opponents 69-40 in those frames and had nine runs this weekend in Innings 7-9 before being held scoreless in those frames today. It was just the fifth time in 25 games this season that Cal didn't score at least one run in Innings 7-9.
- Harris Williams' first inning walk tied him with Nick McLain for second-most on the team with 18.
- Eamonn Lance homered again in just his second start of the year after doing so on Friday as well.
- Saturday's victory secured ASU's first sweep of the season and first since April 6-8 against Washington State last season.
Head Coach Willie Bloomquist
Opening Statement:
"That was big, you know, Connor [Markl] coming up and giving us five innings there was outstanding - falling behind early but keeping things small. And then Gibby's [Jonah Giblin] first inning didn't go as planned. But he was able to bounce back. The ball was coming out great. He just, you know, had a little bad luck there with the swirling wind double there to start things off. And you know, he's got to mentally put that behind him and not let that snowball on him. But he did a good job of bouncing back the next two innings and given us to two big zeros and got the first out there in the ninth off a kid that I didn't know was human coming into today. LomaVita [Caleb] was torturing us every day and swinging the bat really good. But we were able to figure out a way to get himout today. So that was a big out and then Schiefer [Ryan] was able to finish."
Junior pitcher Jonah Giblin
On what's changed during the team's four-game winning streak:
"I just think as a whole, our mentality has shifted a lot. And last weekend was a huge eye opener for us. Just to get back on track. And like Kien [Vu] said, go have fun, go play loose. And I think that's the huge change that we've made, week to week even. So, I think the games in Pullman, obviously, didn't go our way. But I think we all knew that that wasn't going to be the end of our season. So it was kind of just flushing it. And then I think UNLV was a great game to kind of remember that we can win. And it's been up from there since then."
Senior pitcher Connor Markl
On the team gaining confidence over the last week:
"I think we're having a lot more fun than what we've been doing. I think from at least my point of view, everyone looks a lot more confident. When you have confidence on your side, baseball is fun. You know, you can do anything you put your mind to, and I'm seeing a lot of confidence from the hitters and from the pitchers. We're not letting small things get to us. And when we do the small things right, it makes it a pretty fun ride."
Sophomore center fielder Kien Vu
On his approach that's allowed him to be successful off the bench this season:
"I'd say locking in halfway through the game when I do need to take an at-bat isn't so much a serious lock- in. I feel like I'm engaged the entire game from the first pitch to the last pitch. So that's kind of what I do to stay locked in. I literally just try to have fun. So I'll have fun. The fifth, sixth inning rolls around and I know that I might be pinch-hitting. So I'll take a few swings, stretch the legs. But we hit everyday. So I just have to trust myself and roll out there. I'm not I'm not pinch hitting to walk. So that's kind of my approach. So I go up there and just swing."
INNING BY INNING
First Inning
Cal walked and hit a single to right field to put runners on first and second base to open. Markl struckout the third Gold Bears batter swinging for the first out. A single to shallow left field scored the first Cal run and throwing error helped both runners advance to scoring positions. A groundout to third gave the Sun Devils two outs. Cal hit a shallow grounder to first base. The ASU throw to first went wide of the first baseman, but the umpire ruled the runner interfered with the catch for the final out. Williams drew a leadoff walk, but Cal recorded three consecutive outs to end the inning.
Second Inning
Markl struckout the first two Gold Bears batters before surrendering a pair of two-out singles to put runners on the corners. An ASU fielding error allowed the runner on third to score and Cal took a 2-0 lead. Mendoza smacked a one-out double for ASU's first hit of the day. His shallow fly ball to right field was just beyond the reach of the outstretched Cal right fielder. With two outs, Demera hit a deep shot to straight-away center, but the Cal center fielder made a jumping catch against the wall for the final out.
Third Inning
The first two Cal batters were retired via a groundout to second and a strikeout. Cal hit a two-out single for the second consecutive inning to right field. Markl's fifth strikeout of the game ended the inning. The first two Sun Devil batters were put down from a flyout to center field and groundout to short. Campos drew a two-out walk but a groundout to short put an end to the rally.
Fourth Inning
Cal hit a leadoff single to center field. McLain raced down a shallow fly ball in right field for the first out and Markl's pickoff throw to first tallied the second. Cal hit a two-out double to left-center but a fly out ended the top-inning. The Sun Devils hit back-to-back home runs to tie the game at 2-2. Tobias hit a big fly over the left field wall to leadoff the inning and Lance followed up with a deep blast to center. Unlike his second-inning shot to the warning track, this one easily cleared the fences. Demera sparked a two-out rally after reaching first on a Cal throwing error. Ondina hit a single past the Golden Bears third baseman and advanced to second on the play. Williams was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Campos drilled his first pitch off the left-center field wall to clear the bases. All three runners scored to put the Sun Devils ahead 5-2 for their first lead of the game. McLain ripped a line drive single to center field to score Campos and extend ASU's advantage to four runs.
Fifth Inning
Markl retired the side and collected his sixth strike out of the day in the process. Vu walked to spark a two-out rally. Demera ripped a double to left center to score Vu and put the Sun Devils ahead by five-runs. Ondina knocked a single to right field to score Demera and push the lead to 8-2.
Sixth Inning
Cal hit a shallow blooper down the third base line that fell for a double. A walk and bunt-single loaded the bases. The Golden Bears drove a run home to make it 8-3 after getting hit by a pitch. With the bases still loaded, Jonah Giblin struck out the next batter for the first out. Cal put two more runs on the board from a single to right field. A fielder's choice scored another run to make it a 8-6 game. The Sun Devils were put down in order.
Seventh Inning
In his second inning of work, Giblin settled down and put away three of the first four Cal batters. The first two Sun Devil batters were put down. Vu stepped into the box and hit his second pitch over the right field wall. His solo shot extended ASU's lead to 9-6.
Eighth Inning
Giblin picked up where he left off and only needed seven pitches to retire the Golden Bears in order. All three Sun Devils batters were also put away.
Ninth Inning
Cal's leadoff man grounded out to short. The second batter walked and Bloomquist made a call to his bullpen, bringing in Schiefer for the final two outs. Cal drew another walk to put two runners on with one out. Schiefer responded by striking out the next batter looking on three pitches. The Golden Bears hit a line drive to center, but Vu made a diving catch for the final out.
ON DECK:
ASU will look to close out the homestand with a win against GCU on Tuesday. First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m. AZT. The game will be available on Pac-12 Insider and the broadcast can be found at the following link. Tickets are on sale now.