CINCINNATI – The Sun Devil Baseball team played with a fire a bit too long in its series opener at Cincinnati, giving up nine runs in the final three frames on its way to an 11-7 loss in Cincinnati on Friday.
ASU (22-12, 8-5 Big 12) squandered a 6-2 lead after the top of the sixth inning, with its pitching staff unable to command the strike zone (10 walks, 2 HBP) and the offense going quiet after a four-run first inning with just four hits the remainder of the game. .
The Sun Devils stranded a season high 16 opponent baserunners, more indicative of the large number of opponents on base in the first place than anything else. ASU was unable to produce a 1-2-3 frame in the contest and had just two innings where there were fewer than two baserunners allowed.
Kien Vu was a bright spot, going 3-for-4 with two runs while also making his return to the outfield after having to miss much of the last month with a high ankle sprain and DHing for the Sun Devils the last two weeks.
Ben Jacobs battled through 5.0 innings with just two runs allowed, stranding nine Bearcats on the basepath and leaving the game with a 6-2 lead in a position to earn the win despite not having his best stuff.
ASU will look to even the series tomorrow afternoon with first pitch scheduled for 12 p.m. AZT (3 p.m. locally).
TURNING POINT
ASU took advantage of a two-out miscue by the Bearcats in the first to plate four runs in the frame on four consecutive RBI singles. Instead of closing the door with a comfortable lead through an inning, however, Cincinnati came right back with two runs of its own in the bottom of the frame and ASU the Sun Devil bats were largely absent after that, combining for just four hits over the final eight innings at the plate.
BIG MOMENT
ASU entered the seventh inning with a 6-3 lead before the wheels came off. A single, walk, passed ball, wild pitch set the table for a two-RBI double to get the Bearcats within a run. ASU looked to get out of the frame with a one-run lead intact but a shuffle step too many on a routine ground ball to third allowed an infield RBI single to tie the game. UC would then take the lead without even putting a ball into play thanks to two HBPs and walk and the damage was done at that point.
FINAL STRAW
The Sun Devils still only trailed by a run after the disastrous seventh inning, but a misread ball in center field led to a leadoff triple in the bottom of the eighth, setting the tone for the inning as the Bearcats poured on another four runs to effectively put the game out of reach from there at 11-6.
NOTABLES
INNING BY INNING
First Inning
The Sun Devils mounted a massive two-out rally in the first after being gifted an error on what looked like it would be a dominant frame from UC starter Nathan Taylor. The two-out blemish was followed by a walk from Tobias. The Sun Devils then ripped off four-straight RBI singles from Compton, King, Jackson and Vu to take a 4-0 advantage early.
UC returned the punches in the bottom half of the frame, picking up a walk and three-straight one-out hits to score a pair of runs and putting the tying runs on the basepath. But Jacobs was able to get the final two outs to keep it a 4-2 game.
Second Inning
The Sun Devils went down in order despite a loud out into the shift by Tobias for the third out. Jacobs hit and walked the bottom of the UC order before retiring two batters. A two-out walk loaded the bases but Jacobs got a flyout to left against the Bearcat cleanup hitter to escape the jam.
Third Inning
The Devils went down in order for the second-straight frame. Jacobs stranded a two-out baserunner at second, picking up his first two strikeouts of the game.
Fourth Inning
ASU again took advantage of a Bearcat miscue on what looked to be a tailor-made double play to start the frame, dropping the throw to second on a Briggs grounder after a leadoff single from Vu. ASU would put runners in scoring position with one out after Walker reached on a fielder's choice and took second on a wild pitch. Hairston groundout to first but did enough to score Vu from third to make it 5-2.
It continued to not be pretty for Jacobs, but the ace managed to strand two more batters in the bottom of the frame, bringing his total to eight for the the game and keeping it a three-run game.
Fifth Inning
Tobias reached on a leadoff walk but would end up stranded at second in the frame. Jacobs stranded his ninth and final baserunner of the game after two-out infield single, getting a strikeout to keep things at 5-2.
Sixth Inning
Vu picked up his third hit of the game on a hard-hit leadoff single, took second on Briggs' sac bunt and scored on Walker's duck snort single over the first baseman's head to make it 6-2. The free passes on ASU's end would lead to a run after a pair of leadoff walks by Butler in relief led to a one-out RBI groundout. Butler got a final groundout to strand another runner at third with the score at 6-3.
Seventh Inning
ASU went down in order in the seventh. UC got a one-out single and walk to put two on and send Giblin into the game out of the pen. Playing with fire long enough eventually bit the Devils with a two-RBI double getting the Bearcats back within a run and a two-out infield single tied the game. UC would take its first lead without a ball even being put into play from there with two HBPs and a walk to make it 6-5.
Eighth Inning
ASU went down in order for the second-straight frame. Jackson misread a ball in center for a leadoff triple, which would score on a one-out single to double the lead and then a couple walks, couple of singles and an error led to three more runs, effectively putting the game out of reach at 11-6
Ninth Inning
Jacob Tobias recorded a one-out RBI double in the ninth after Walker and Hairston drew leadoff walks but ASU was unable to do anymore damage than that.
ASU (22-12, 8-5 Big 12) squandered a 6-2 lead after the top of the sixth inning, with its pitching staff unable to command the strike zone (10 walks, 2 HBP) and the offense going quiet after a four-run first inning with just four hits the remainder of the game. .
The Sun Devils stranded a season high 16 opponent baserunners, more indicative of the large number of opponents on base in the first place than anything else. ASU was unable to produce a 1-2-3 frame in the contest and had just two innings where there were fewer than two baserunners allowed.
Kien Vu was a bright spot, going 3-for-4 with two runs while also making his return to the outfield after having to miss much of the last month with a high ankle sprain and DHing for the Sun Devils the last two weeks.
Ben Jacobs battled through 5.0 innings with just two runs allowed, stranding nine Bearcats on the basepath and leaving the game with a 6-2 lead in a position to earn the win despite not having his best stuff.
ASU will look to even the series tomorrow afternoon with first pitch scheduled for 12 p.m. AZT (3 p.m. locally).
TURNING POINT
ASU took advantage of a two-out miscue by the Bearcats in the first to plate four runs in the frame on four consecutive RBI singles. Instead of closing the door with a comfortable lead through an inning, however, Cincinnati came right back with two runs of its own in the bottom of the frame and ASU the Sun Devil bats were largely absent after that, combining for just four hits over the final eight innings at the plate.
BIG MOMENT
ASU entered the seventh inning with a 6-3 lead before the wheels came off. A single, walk, passed ball, wild pitch set the table for a two-RBI double to get the Bearcats within a run. ASU looked to get out of the frame with a one-run lead intact but a shuffle step too many on a routine ground ball to third allowed an infield RBI single to tie the game. UC would then take the lead without even putting a ball into play thanks to two HBPs and walk and the damage was done at that point.
FINAL STRAW
The Sun Devils still only trailed by a run after the disastrous seventh inning, but a misread ball in center field led to a leadoff triple in the bottom of the eighth, setting the tone for the inning as the Bearcats poured on another four runs to effectively put the game out of reach from there at 11-6.
NOTABLES
- Kyle Walker extended his on-base streak to 22 games with his RBI single in the sixth.
- Matt King has now recorded a career high 11-game hitting streak among 193 games between ASU and UTSA.
- With his 0-for evening, Nu'u Contrades had his reached base streak ended at 33 games this season and 41 consecutive games overall dating back to his freshman season after reaching in all five games in his injury shortened sophomore campaign and the last three of 2023.
- Jacob Tobias is currently on an nine-game hitting streak, recording his Big 12 leading 16th double in the ninth inning.
- Big innings have been the theme of ASU's season as the team has now scored in 121 halves of an inning on the year and have plated two or more runs in 79 of those.
- The Sun Devils have 41 innings this season scoring at least three runs, 19 with 4+ and 11 with 5+.
- The Sun Devils have outscored opponents 40-11 over the last 28 first innings. ASU is 16-4 when it scores in the first frame of the game.
INNING BY INNING
First Inning
The Sun Devils mounted a massive two-out rally in the first after being gifted an error on what looked like it would be a dominant frame from UC starter Nathan Taylor. The two-out blemish was followed by a walk from Tobias. The Sun Devils then ripped off four-straight RBI singles from Compton, King, Jackson and Vu to take a 4-0 advantage early.
UC returned the punches in the bottom half of the frame, picking up a walk and three-straight one-out hits to score a pair of runs and putting the tying runs on the basepath. But Jacobs was able to get the final two outs to keep it a 4-2 game.
Second Inning
The Sun Devils went down in order despite a loud out into the shift by Tobias for the third out. Jacobs hit and walked the bottom of the UC order before retiring two batters. A two-out walk loaded the bases but Jacobs got a flyout to left against the Bearcat cleanup hitter to escape the jam.
Third Inning
The Devils went down in order for the second-straight frame. Jacobs stranded a two-out baserunner at second, picking up his first two strikeouts of the game.
Fourth Inning
ASU again took advantage of a Bearcat miscue on what looked to be a tailor-made double play to start the frame, dropping the throw to second on a Briggs grounder after a leadoff single from Vu. ASU would put runners in scoring position with one out after Walker reached on a fielder's choice and took second on a wild pitch. Hairston groundout to first but did enough to score Vu from third to make it 5-2.
It continued to not be pretty for Jacobs, but the ace managed to strand two more batters in the bottom of the frame, bringing his total to eight for the the game and keeping it a three-run game.
Fifth Inning
Tobias reached on a leadoff walk but would end up stranded at second in the frame. Jacobs stranded his ninth and final baserunner of the game after two-out infield single, getting a strikeout to keep things at 5-2.
Sixth Inning
Vu picked up his third hit of the game on a hard-hit leadoff single, took second on Briggs' sac bunt and scored on Walker's duck snort single over the first baseman's head to make it 6-2. The free passes on ASU's end would lead to a run after a pair of leadoff walks by Butler in relief led to a one-out RBI groundout. Butler got a final groundout to strand another runner at third with the score at 6-3.
Seventh Inning
ASU went down in order in the seventh. UC got a one-out single and walk to put two on and send Giblin into the game out of the pen. Playing with fire long enough eventually bit the Devils with a two-RBI double getting the Bearcats back within a run and a two-out infield single tied the game. UC would take its first lead without a ball even being put into play from there with two HBPs and a walk to make it 6-5.
Eighth Inning
ASU went down in order for the second-straight frame. Jackson misread a ball in center for a leadoff triple, which would score on a one-out single to double the lead and then a couple walks, couple of singles and an error led to three more runs, effectively putting the game out of reach at 11-6
Ninth Inning
Jacob Tobias recorded a one-out RBI double in the ninth after Walker and Hairston drew leadoff walks but ASU was unable to do anymore damage than that.