PHOENIX – Sun Devil Baseball came out of the gates hot but struggled to maintain the momentum down the stretch in a 7-6 loss at Grand Canyon on Tuesday evening at Brazell Field at GCU Ballpark.
ASU had seven hits through the first three innings but managed just to the remainder of the game - a solo shot by Josiah Cromwick in the sixth and Matt King's third hit of the night with two outs in the top of the ninth.
The Sun Devils again struggled to hold a lead in the middle innings as it saw its 6-3 lead through the top of the sixth disappear with back-to-back two run innings from the Lopes to take the lead in the seventh.
King was a bright spot yet again for ASU, recording four of the team's six RBIs with his 3-for-4 day. Cromwick homered for the 11th time this year and Jacob Tobias added two hits. Kyle Walker stole three bases and scored two runs.
Cole Carlon tossed a 1-2-3 frame in his lone inning of work - the only 1-2-3 inning for a Sun Devil pitcher on the night.
TURNING POINT
ASU again struggled to deliver a knockout blow early, scoring two runs in the top of the third and loading the bases but a foul out ended the threat. The team had seven hits through that point of the game before the bats were stymied for the remainder of the game with GCU reliever Gray Bailey tossing 4.0 innings of one-hit ball in middle relief to set the table for GCU's comeback.
BIG MOMENT
With ASU holding on to a 6-5 lead in the seventh, Will Koger worked an 0-2 count against GCU's six-hole hitter before hitting him on a spiked slider to out a man on with one out. GCU made him pay for the mistake as it turned Michael Diaz's moonshot on a 1-1 pitch a batter later into the go-ahead homer instead of a game-tying one.
FINAL STRAW
The Sun Devils got a one-out walk in the eighth but hit into a double play and Jacob Tobias lined into the final out of the game after Matt King recorded a two-out single for his third hit of the contest, though it was too late at that moment for the rally.
NOTABLES
INNING BY INNING
First Inning
Walker led the game off with a big knock that would have been a home run in the vast majority of collegiate ball parks but unfortunately was just a double off of GCU's 30-foot batter's eye. Alln was well though he would steal third and score on King's infield single. Tobias notched another single but ASU ground into a double play to get out of the frame with limited damage.
GCU responded with a two-out, two-strike, two-RBI double in the bottom of the frame to jump back ahead 2-1.
Second Inning
Compton led the inning off with a warning track ball for an out as the Sun Devils would go down in order.GCU worked a one-out walk that stole second but Halvorson got out of it with a flyout and groundout.
Third Inning
The Sun Devils brought the sticks in the third, starting with a leadoff single from Jackson followed by a stolen base. Hairston drew a one-out walk and ASU had a double steal to put both runners in scoring position. King did King things with another RBI single, plating both runs to make it 3-2. Nu'u Contrades would plate another on a sac fly though the Sun Devils stranded the bases loaded with a 4-2 lead.
Barrett entered out of the pen in the bottom of the frame and got into a jam with two on and just one out but got back-to-back punchouts to get through it unscathed.
Fourth Inning
Walker worked a one-out walk and stole second and third as Hairston had a nine-pitch AB to walk for the second time to put runners on the corners with one out and chase the GCU starter from the game. King plated his fourth RBI of the game on a sac fly to make it 5-2. Barrett giot a double play from his defense and faced the minimum in the bottom of the frame.
Fifth Inning
The Sun Devils went down in order on three-hard hit groundouts right at defenders. Barrett again ran into trouble as a pair of leadoff singles put runners on the corners and a walk loaded the bases. Barrett got a huge strikeout against the ever-dangerous Zach Yorke to bring in Schaefer. A seeing-eye single would plate one run but Landon Hairston made a massive janitor toss from left to hose the second runner at the plate for the second out. A strikeout ended the frame with minimal damage done at 5-3.
Sixth Inning
Cromwick led the frame off with a no-doubt homer over the left field wall for his team-leading 11th of the year to make it 6-3. The two-out big struck again as GCU added a two-out RBI single and double to climb back within a run though Sean Fitzpatrick was able to come in and strand a pair of runners to keep ASU on top.
Seventh Inning
The Sun Devils went down quickly in order in the seventh. Koger hit a batter on an 0-2 count and GCU made ASU pay with a two-run shot to deep right center to retake the lead at 7-6
Eighth Inning
Cromwick worked a one-out walk and GCU went back to the bullpen and immediately got a double play to get out of the frame. Cole Carlon entered and easily set down the side in ASU's lone 1-2-3 frame of the contest.
Ninth Inning
A two-out single for King's third hit of the game was too little, too late as Tobias lined out to center to seal the loss.
ASU had seven hits through the first three innings but managed just to the remainder of the game - a solo shot by Josiah Cromwick in the sixth and Matt King's third hit of the night with two outs in the top of the ninth.
The Sun Devils again struggled to hold a lead in the middle innings as it saw its 6-3 lead through the top of the sixth disappear with back-to-back two run innings from the Lopes to take the lead in the seventh.
King was a bright spot yet again for ASU, recording four of the team's six RBIs with his 3-for-4 day. Cromwick homered for the 11th time this year and Jacob Tobias added two hits. Kyle Walker stole three bases and scored two runs.
Cole Carlon tossed a 1-2-3 frame in his lone inning of work - the only 1-2-3 inning for a Sun Devil pitcher on the night.
TURNING POINT
ASU again struggled to deliver a knockout blow early, scoring two runs in the top of the third and loading the bases but a foul out ended the threat. The team had seven hits through that point of the game before the bats were stymied for the remainder of the game with GCU reliever Gray Bailey tossing 4.0 innings of one-hit ball in middle relief to set the table for GCU's comeback.
BIG MOMENT
With ASU holding on to a 6-5 lead in the seventh, Will Koger worked an 0-2 count against GCU's six-hole hitter before hitting him on a spiked slider to out a man on with one out. GCU made him pay for the mistake as it turned Michael Diaz's moonshot on a 1-1 pitch a batter later into the go-ahead homer instead of a game-tying one.
FINAL STRAW
The Sun Devils got a one-out walk in the eighth but hit into a double play and Jacob Tobias lined into the final out of the game after Matt King recorded a two-out single for his third hit of the contest, though it was too late at that moment for the rally.
NOTABLES
- Kyle Walker has now recorded a hit to start the game in 12 of the last 23 games since becoming the leadoff batter, and a hit on the FIRST PITCH now six times with his leadoff double tonight.
- Walker extended his on-base streak to 30 games with the leadoff knock.
- Kien Vu extended his on-base streak to 19 games with his third inning walk.
- Big innings have been the theme of ASU's season as the team has now scored in 145 halves of an inning on the year and have plated two or more runs in 94 of those.
INNING BY INNING
First Inning
Walker led the game off with a big knock that would have been a home run in the vast majority of collegiate ball parks but unfortunately was just a double off of GCU's 30-foot batter's eye. Alln was well though he would steal third and score on King's infield single. Tobias notched another single but ASU ground into a double play to get out of the frame with limited damage.
GCU responded with a two-out, two-strike, two-RBI double in the bottom of the frame to jump back ahead 2-1.
Second Inning
Compton led the inning off with a warning track ball for an out as the Sun Devils would go down in order.GCU worked a one-out walk that stole second but Halvorson got out of it with a flyout and groundout.
Third Inning
The Sun Devils brought the sticks in the third, starting with a leadoff single from Jackson followed by a stolen base. Hairston drew a one-out walk and ASU had a double steal to put both runners in scoring position. King did King things with another RBI single, plating both runs to make it 3-2. Nu'u Contrades would plate another on a sac fly though the Sun Devils stranded the bases loaded with a 4-2 lead.
Barrett entered out of the pen in the bottom of the frame and got into a jam with two on and just one out but got back-to-back punchouts to get through it unscathed.
Fourth Inning
Walker worked a one-out walk and stole second and third as Hairston had a nine-pitch AB to walk for the second time to put runners on the corners with one out and chase the GCU starter from the game. King plated his fourth RBI of the game on a sac fly to make it 5-2. Barrett giot a double play from his defense and faced the minimum in the bottom of the frame.
Fifth Inning
The Sun Devils went down in order on three-hard hit groundouts right at defenders. Barrett again ran into trouble as a pair of leadoff singles put runners on the corners and a walk loaded the bases. Barrett got a huge strikeout against the ever-dangerous Zach Yorke to bring in Schaefer. A seeing-eye single would plate one run but Landon Hairston made a massive janitor toss from left to hose the second runner at the plate for the second out. A strikeout ended the frame with minimal damage done at 5-3.
Sixth Inning
Cromwick led the frame off with a no-doubt homer over the left field wall for his team-leading 11th of the year to make it 6-3. The two-out big struck again as GCU added a two-out RBI single and double to climb back within a run though Sean Fitzpatrick was able to come in and strand a pair of runners to keep ASU on top.
Seventh Inning
The Sun Devils went down quickly in order in the seventh. Koger hit a batter on an 0-2 count and GCU made ASU pay with a two-run shot to deep right center to retake the lead at 7-6
Eighth Inning
Cromwick worked a one-out walk and GCU went back to the bullpen and immediately got a double play to get out of the frame. Cole Carlon entered and easily set down the side in ASU's lone 1-2-3 frame of the contest.
Ninth Inning
A two-out single for King's third hit of the game was too little, too late as Tobias lined out to center to seal the loss.