WEST LAFAYETTE – Sun Devil Baseball dropped a heartbreaker for the second consecutive day, getting walked off by Purdue, 8-6, in a Monday non-conference game in West Lafayette.
It was the second walk-off loss in about a 24-hour span for the Sun Devils (23-14), who will lick their wounds and return to Phoenix still ranked in the Top-35 in RPI with six-straight Big 12 conference games at Muni sandwiched around a midweek "road" game at Grand Canyon next Tuesday.
Matt King continued his offensive tear with another multi-hit effort and two RBIs. Nu'u Contrades also had two hits and Landon Hairston had two RBIs.
Easton Barrett had his best start as a Sun Devil, going a career-best 4.1 innings with just one run allowed and six strikeouts. Derek Schaefer added four strikeouts in 2.1 innings of relief.
TURNING POINT
The Sun Devils staked a 4-0 lead after its half of the fifth inning after a sleepy start by both offenses, but immediately allowed the Boilermakers to return serve with a pair of runs in the fifth and sixth to tie the game and force the theatrics down the stretch.
BIG MOMENT
ASU stranded 11 baserunners and were just 4-for-17 with runners on base. The stranded runners kept ASU from extending its lead at any point and kept Purdue within striking distance.
FINAL STRAW
The Sun Devils didn't trail until the final pitch of the game. ASU picked up the go-ahead run in the top of the ninth off the bat of Isaiah Jackson to take a 6-5 lead and got a huge shutout down inning from Schaefer in the bottom half of the frame after Purdue had scored in three straight frames. ASU was unable to add any insurance in the ninth, unfortunately, and Purdue made it pay with a leadoff single and a one-out game-tying double followed immediately by a walk-off home run.
NOTABLES
INNING BY INNING
First Inning
Matt King stayed hot, lacing a two-out double and Tobias drew a walk but a groundout stranded the threat. Easton Barrett ran into trouble with a one-out walk and double to put runners in scoring position but he picked up two strikeouts to strike out the side and make it a scoreless first for both sides.
Second Inning
A one-out HBP and walk led Purdue to go to the bullpen and an error loaded the bases with just one out but a pair of popouts stranded the bases loaded. A walk, infield single and Texas League single loaded the bases with one out but Barrett was able to escape the jam with a 5-4-3 double play to keep the game scoreless.
Third Inning
Contrades reached on a two-out single but that was the extent of the action. Barrett recorded the first 1-2-3 inning for either team as it remained 0-0.
Fourth Inning
Jackson and Walker reached on back-to-back two-out HBPs and both advanced to scoring position on a failed pickoff attempt at first. Landon Hairston continued to show off the clutch gene, making Purdue pay with a two-run double off the center field wall to break the scoring drought. Matt King welcomed a new pitcher into the game with his second double of the game, plating another run to make it 3-0. Barrett recorded his second straight 1-2-3 frame to make it eight-straight retired.
Fifth Inning
Vu recorded a one-out single and Compton recorded the third two-out RBI double of the game to make it 4-0. Jackson drew a walk and Walker was hit for the second time to load the bases but ASU was unable to blow the game open. ASU went to Giblin out of the pen after a one-out walk but Purdue recorded a two-out homer to cut the lead to 4-2 but Giblin held the damage there.
Sixth Inning
The heart of the Sun Devil order went down 1-2-3 in the sixth. Purdue loaded the bases with one out behind a walk, hit batter and single. A two-run double tied the game and still had two runners in scoring position with one out. ASU was able to catch the lead runner in a rundown on fielder's choice thought there was still two runners in scoring position but Derek Schaefer entered and quickly got three swinging strikes to get out of the jam.
Seventh Inning
Vu led off with a walk and took second on Cromwick's sac bunt. Jackson recorded ASU's fifth two-out RBI of the day, having to run back to the box and dig in to avoid a strike after thinking he had been hit and taking first base but he immediately laced the next pitch through the left side for a 5-4 lead. Purdue responded immediately with a one-out walk and two singles to make it 5-5
Eighth Inning
Kyle Walker led the inning off with a double and moved to third on Hairston's groundout and scored on King's sac fly to make it 6-5. Schaefer finally got a big stop after score, holding Purdue to a 0 after three straight scoring innings, working around a two-out walk to get a lineout to end the frame.
Ninth Inning
Contrades led the frame off with a single but was unable to add any insurance. Purdue got a leadoff single that moved to second on a sac bunt. A double tied the game and a home run three pitches later ended it.
It was the second walk-off loss in about a 24-hour span for the Sun Devils (23-14), who will lick their wounds and return to Phoenix still ranked in the Top-35 in RPI with six-straight Big 12 conference games at Muni sandwiched around a midweek "road" game at Grand Canyon next Tuesday.
Matt King continued his offensive tear with another multi-hit effort and two RBIs. Nu'u Contrades also had two hits and Landon Hairston had two RBIs.
Easton Barrett had his best start as a Sun Devil, going a career-best 4.1 innings with just one run allowed and six strikeouts. Derek Schaefer added four strikeouts in 2.1 innings of relief.
TURNING POINT
The Sun Devils staked a 4-0 lead after its half of the fifth inning after a sleepy start by both offenses, but immediately allowed the Boilermakers to return serve with a pair of runs in the fifth and sixth to tie the game and force the theatrics down the stretch.
BIG MOMENT
ASU stranded 11 baserunners and were just 4-for-17 with runners on base. The stranded runners kept ASU from extending its lead at any point and kept Purdue within striking distance.
FINAL STRAW
The Sun Devils didn't trail until the final pitch of the game. ASU picked up the go-ahead run in the top of the ninth off the bat of Isaiah Jackson to take a 6-5 lead and got a huge shutout down inning from Schaefer in the bottom half of the frame after Purdue had scored in three straight frames. ASU was unable to add any insurance in the ninth, unfortunately, and Purdue made it pay with a leadoff single and a one-out game-tying double followed immediately by a walk-off home run.
NOTABLES
- Kyle Walker extended his on-base streak to 26 games with his HBP in the fourth.
- Matt King has now recorded a 14-game hitting streak, his longest in his 196 career games between ASU and UTSA. He now has 14 RBIs in his last five games alone. He has multiple hits in 10 of the games in the streak.
- Big innings have been the theme of ASU's season as the team has now scored in 132 halves of an inning on the year and have plated two or more runs in 85 of those.
- The Sun Devils have 45 innings this season scoring at least three runs, 19 with 4+ and 11 with 5+.
- ASU struck out double digit batters for the 23rd time in 27 games.
- ASU fell to 15-2 in day games this season.
- ASU recorded multiple doubles for the 26th time in 37 games, finishing with five to bring its total to 42 over the last 12 games
INNING BY INNING
First Inning
Matt King stayed hot, lacing a two-out double and Tobias drew a walk but a groundout stranded the threat. Easton Barrett ran into trouble with a one-out walk and double to put runners in scoring position but he picked up two strikeouts to strike out the side and make it a scoreless first for both sides.
Second Inning
A one-out HBP and walk led Purdue to go to the bullpen and an error loaded the bases with just one out but a pair of popouts stranded the bases loaded. A walk, infield single and Texas League single loaded the bases with one out but Barrett was able to escape the jam with a 5-4-3 double play to keep the game scoreless.
Third Inning
Contrades reached on a two-out single but that was the extent of the action. Barrett recorded the first 1-2-3 inning for either team as it remained 0-0.
Fourth Inning
Jackson and Walker reached on back-to-back two-out HBPs and both advanced to scoring position on a failed pickoff attempt at first. Landon Hairston continued to show off the clutch gene, making Purdue pay with a two-run double off the center field wall to break the scoring drought. Matt King welcomed a new pitcher into the game with his second double of the game, plating another run to make it 3-0. Barrett recorded his second straight 1-2-3 frame to make it eight-straight retired.
Fifth Inning
Vu recorded a one-out single and Compton recorded the third two-out RBI double of the game to make it 4-0. Jackson drew a walk and Walker was hit for the second time to load the bases but ASU was unable to blow the game open. ASU went to Giblin out of the pen after a one-out walk but Purdue recorded a two-out homer to cut the lead to 4-2 but Giblin held the damage there.
Sixth Inning
The heart of the Sun Devil order went down 1-2-3 in the sixth. Purdue loaded the bases with one out behind a walk, hit batter and single. A two-run double tied the game and still had two runners in scoring position with one out. ASU was able to catch the lead runner in a rundown on fielder's choice thought there was still two runners in scoring position but Derek Schaefer entered and quickly got three swinging strikes to get out of the jam.
Seventh Inning
Vu led off with a walk and took second on Cromwick's sac bunt. Jackson recorded ASU's fifth two-out RBI of the day, having to run back to the box and dig in to avoid a strike after thinking he had been hit and taking first base but he immediately laced the next pitch through the left side for a 5-4 lead. Purdue responded immediately with a one-out walk and two singles to make it 5-5
Eighth Inning
Kyle Walker led the inning off with a double and moved to third on Hairston's groundout and scored on King's sac fly to make it 6-5. Schaefer finally got a big stop after score, holding Purdue to a 0 after three straight scoring innings, working around a two-out walk to get a lineout to end the frame.
Ninth Inning
Contrades led the frame off with a single but was unable to add any insurance. Purdue got a leadoff single that moved to second on a sac bunt. A double tied the game and a home run three pitches later ended it.