SALT LAKE CITY – Sun Devil Baseball picked up its third-consecutive Big 12 series win, taking down Utah, 7-3, on Saturday evening in a rain delayed contest at Smith's Ballpark in Salt Lake City.
ASU jumped out to a 7-1 lead through the first three innings and put it into cruise control, letting its bullpen carry it down the stretch to the victory.
Wyatt Halvorson and Cole Carlon tossed 4.1 innings of scoreless relief for ASU, with Halvorson earning the win behind 2.1 innings with five strikeouts, no walks and scattering three hits. Carlon spun 2.0 hitless innings in the eighth and ninth to keep things from getting dramatic late.
Matt King paced the offense with a 3-for-4 day and a pair of doubles. Jacob Tobias and Brody Briggs each added two hits with the latter having two RBIs as well.
The victory improved ASU to 18-9 on the season and 6-2 in Big 12 action. ASU has won each of its first three Big 12 series and has won four consecutive road series dating back to last season - winning 11-of-14 true road games in the process.
ASU will look to bring home a series sweep tomorrow with first pitch for the finale scheduled for 12 p.m. AZT (1 p.m. local).
TURNING POINT
Despite the first pitch for the game being delayed four hours due to rain in the area, the Sun Devils came out ready to go, plating three runs in the first - due in large part to drawing three walks and a Utah error. Tobias and King had RBI singles and Jackson had a sac fly in the frame. Martinez struggled with command in the bottom of the frame but battled to hold the Utes to just one - highlighted by Camden Bates making a diving catch in right field in his first collegiate start that saved at least a run.
BIG MOMENT
ASU added two unearned runs on a huge head's up play in the top of the second on some head's up baserunning on what should have been an inning ending groundout to make it 5-1. Utah looked like it would mount another rally in the bottom half of the frame, loading the bases with the Ute's star player Core Jackson at the plate. The veteran laced one right back up the middle, taking a funky richochet off the mound and looking like it would easily plate two runs with a single up the middle. Matt King had other plans though as the veteran shortstop made a diving stab at the ball behind the second base bag, corralling it and immediately diving to tag his glove against the bag a fraction of a second before the baserunner got there, ending the inning and saving two runs as ASU would take advantage with two more runs in the third to make it 7-1.
FINAL STRAW
RHP Wyatt Halvorson and LHP Cole Carlon picked up starting pitcher Jack Martinez in the back half of the game, combining to toss 4.1 innings of scoreless relief. The duo struck out eight with no walks with three hits and Utah never managed to get closer than the 7-3 advantage they inherited.
PLAYER OF THE GAME
In addition to having the defensive play of the game, King paced the Sun Devil offensive with a 3-for-4 outing that included two doubles. He had a RBI and a run scored and a walk, bringing his season matting average to .329 and his OBP to .427.
NOTABLES
First Inning
The Sun Devils came out looking for blood early, drawing two one-out walks and scoring a run on Tobias single through the shift in the left side. Another walk loaded the bases with one out. King reached on an infield single that was overturned after originally being called out, picking up an RBI in the process. A Jackson sac fly made it 3-0. Martinez faced some trouble with a one-out double and walk and both moving to scoring position on a double steal. Camden Bates, in his first collegiate start made a diving snag on a line drive to steal extra bases and the Sun Devils limited the damage to just one run on the sac fly after a Martinez strikeout to keep the score at 3-1.
Second Inning
Briggs reached on a seeing eye single through the right side and Briggs was HBP with one out. Both moved into a scoring position on a tapper back to the pitcher. Some head's up base-running on a slow rolling error to second base led to two runs scoring to make it 5-1. Utah got a one-out walk and stole second with two outs. An infield single put the runners on the corners and Utah loaded the bases with a walk. Matt King made an incredible diving stab on a ball up the middle behind second base and made another dive to tag second for the force ahead of the the base runner to keep Utah off the board.
Third Inning
King walked and Jackson reached on an error to leadoff the inning. The two moved into scoring position on a one-out double steal and scored on Briggs' single back through the middle to make it 7-1. Martinez stranded a two-out walk and stolen base in scoring position.
Fourth Inning
Tobias led off the frame with a single and King notched a one-out double to put both runners in scoring position and Jackson walked to load the bases but a 1-2-3 GDP ended the threat and kep the score at 7-1. Utah drew a full count HBP but Martinez notched his fourth strikeout to get out of the frame.
Fifth Inning
Walker reached on a one-out infield single but was caught stealing and a flyout led to the minimum coming to the plate in the frame. A leadoff double, wild pitch and RBI groundout got Utah back within 7-2. A one-out HBP, two-out stolen base and two-out double brought Utah back within four. Another walk would bring Halvorson into the game and he notched a strikeout to strand the two runners. m
Sixth Inning
Compton drew a two-out double but that was the extent of ASU's offense in the frame. A double and failed pickoff error led to a runner on third with one out but Halvorson would strand him right there with back-to-back strikeouts over Utah's two-and three-hole hitters to strand him there and keep the score at 7-3.
Seventh Inning
The Devils went down in order in the seventh. Utah notched a pair of one-out singles but Halvorson notched a strikeout and got a groundout to himself to strand both runners and keep the lead at four.
Eighth Inning
Walker reached on a leadoff walk, stole second with one out and took third on a flyout to the warning track by Contrades but a flyout stranded him there. Cole Carlon entered the game and tossed a harmless 1-2-3 frame.
Ninth Inning
King notched a one-out double and Jackson walked to put two on with one out but both were stranded with a strikeout and groundout. Utah got a leadoff baserunner on a wild pitch strikeout and took second on a balk but no one else sniffed Carlon as he easily set down the remaining batters.
ASU jumped out to a 7-1 lead through the first three innings and put it into cruise control, letting its bullpen carry it down the stretch to the victory.
Wyatt Halvorson and Cole Carlon tossed 4.1 innings of scoreless relief for ASU, with Halvorson earning the win behind 2.1 innings with five strikeouts, no walks and scattering three hits. Carlon spun 2.0 hitless innings in the eighth and ninth to keep things from getting dramatic late.
Matt King paced the offense with a 3-for-4 day and a pair of doubles. Jacob Tobias and Brody Briggs each added two hits with the latter having two RBIs as well.
The victory improved ASU to 18-9 on the season and 6-2 in Big 12 action. ASU has won each of its first three Big 12 series and has won four consecutive road series dating back to last season - winning 11-of-14 true road games in the process.
ASU will look to bring home a series sweep tomorrow with first pitch for the finale scheduled for 12 p.m. AZT (1 p.m. local).
TURNING POINT
Despite the first pitch for the game being delayed four hours due to rain in the area, the Sun Devils came out ready to go, plating three runs in the first - due in large part to drawing three walks and a Utah error. Tobias and King had RBI singles and Jackson had a sac fly in the frame. Martinez struggled with command in the bottom of the frame but battled to hold the Utes to just one - highlighted by Camden Bates making a diving catch in right field in his first collegiate start that saved at least a run.
BIG MOMENT
ASU added two unearned runs on a huge head's up play in the top of the second on some head's up baserunning on what should have been an inning ending groundout to make it 5-1. Utah looked like it would mount another rally in the bottom half of the frame, loading the bases with the Ute's star player Core Jackson at the plate. The veteran laced one right back up the middle, taking a funky richochet off the mound and looking like it would easily plate two runs with a single up the middle. Matt King had other plans though as the veteran shortstop made a diving stab at the ball behind the second base bag, corralling it and immediately diving to tag his glove against the bag a fraction of a second before the baserunner got there, ending the inning and saving two runs as ASU would take advantage with two more runs in the third to make it 7-1.
FINAL STRAW
RHP Wyatt Halvorson and LHP Cole Carlon picked up starting pitcher Jack Martinez in the back half of the game, combining to toss 4.1 innings of scoreless relief. The duo struck out eight with no walks with three hits and Utah never managed to get closer than the 7-3 advantage they inherited.
PLAYER OF THE GAME
In addition to having the defensive play of the game, King paced the Sun Devil offensive with a 3-for-4 outing that included two doubles. He had a RBI and a run scored and a walk, bringing his season matting average to .329 and his OBP to .427.
NOTABLES
- Nu'u Contrades has reached base safely in all 27 games this season and has reached in 35 consecutive games dating back to his freshman season after reaching in all five games in his injury shortened sophomore campaign and the last three of 2023.
- ASU is 11-3 in its last 14 true road games dating back to last season, averaging 9.2 runs per game in those. The team was 18-38 in its previous 56 road games prior to the current stretch.
- The Sun Devils won their fourth-straight road series dating back to last season, the first time the program has accomplished that feat since winning the three road series of 2021 and the first of 2022.
- Kyle Walker extended his team-leading hitting streak to 15 games, which is easily the longest for a Sun Devil this season. He has multiple hits in 8 of the last 11 games. This is notable as he was batting .083 on Feb. 28 and was still below the Mendoza line on March 7 and he now leads the team with a .354 average.
- Big innings have been the theme of ASU's season as the team has now scored in 93 halves of an inning on the year and have plated two or more runs in 60 of those.
- The Sun Devils have 30 innings this season scoring at least three runs, 10 with 4+ and seven with 5+.
- The Sun Devils have outscored teams 26-5 in the last 20 games including a 3-1 mark today. ASU only outscored teams 8-7 in the first seven games of the year. ASU is 12-2 when scoring in the first inning this year. ASU has held teams scoreless in the first in 16 of those 20 games.
- ASU recorded multiple doubles for the 18th time this season (27 games), finishing with three to bring its total to eight for the weekend.
- ASU struck out double digit batters for the 17th time in 27 games this season.
- ASU has outscored teams 447-268 over its last 47 games dating back to last season, posting a 33-14 record in the process (33-12 in the regular season).
First Inning
The Sun Devils came out looking for blood early, drawing two one-out walks and scoring a run on Tobias single through the shift in the left side. Another walk loaded the bases with one out. King reached on an infield single that was overturned after originally being called out, picking up an RBI in the process. A Jackson sac fly made it 3-0. Martinez faced some trouble with a one-out double and walk and both moving to scoring position on a double steal. Camden Bates, in his first collegiate start made a diving snag on a line drive to steal extra bases and the Sun Devils limited the damage to just one run on the sac fly after a Martinez strikeout to keep the score at 3-1.
Second Inning
Briggs reached on a seeing eye single through the right side and Briggs was HBP with one out. Both moved into a scoring position on a tapper back to the pitcher. Some head's up base-running on a slow rolling error to second base led to two runs scoring to make it 5-1. Utah got a one-out walk and stole second with two outs. An infield single put the runners on the corners and Utah loaded the bases with a walk. Matt King made an incredible diving stab on a ball up the middle behind second base and made another dive to tag second for the force ahead of the the base runner to keep Utah off the board.
Third Inning
King walked and Jackson reached on an error to leadoff the inning. The two moved into scoring position on a one-out double steal and scored on Briggs' single back through the middle to make it 7-1. Martinez stranded a two-out walk and stolen base in scoring position.
Fourth Inning
Tobias led off the frame with a single and King notched a one-out double to put both runners in scoring position and Jackson walked to load the bases but a 1-2-3 GDP ended the threat and kep the score at 7-1. Utah drew a full count HBP but Martinez notched his fourth strikeout to get out of the frame.
Fifth Inning
Walker reached on a one-out infield single but was caught stealing and a flyout led to the minimum coming to the plate in the frame. A leadoff double, wild pitch and RBI groundout got Utah back within 7-2. A one-out HBP, two-out stolen base and two-out double brought Utah back within four. Another walk would bring Halvorson into the game and he notched a strikeout to strand the two runners. m
Sixth Inning
Compton drew a two-out double but that was the extent of ASU's offense in the frame. A double and failed pickoff error led to a runner on third with one out but Halvorson would strand him right there with back-to-back strikeouts over Utah's two-and three-hole hitters to strand him there and keep the score at 7-3.
Seventh Inning
The Devils went down in order in the seventh. Utah notched a pair of one-out singles but Halvorson notched a strikeout and got a groundout to himself to strand both runners and keep the lead at four.
Eighth Inning
Walker reached on a leadoff walk, stole second with one out and took third on a flyout to the warning track by Contrades but a flyout stranded him there. Cole Carlon entered the game and tossed a harmless 1-2-3 frame.
Ninth Inning
King notched a one-out double and Jackson walked to put two on with one out but both were stranded with a strikeout and groundout. Utah got a leadoff baserunner on a wild pitch strikeout and took second on a balk but no one else sniffed Carlon as he easily set down the remaining batters.