Baseball evens series against #17 TCU behind nine-run third

Turning point
The Sun Devils forced TCU into death by a thousand cuts to start the third inning, recording seven singles and batting around the order with four of those plating runs as ASU staked a 5-1 lead. The team wasn’t content with that as Landon Hairston came to the plate for the second time in the frame and blew things open with his third grand slam of the year - a no-doubter to right center to make it a 9-1 ball game. 

Big moment
TCU didn’t let the Sun Devil remain comfortable for long, immediately coming back and taking advantage of a loss of the strike zone from Overbay and an error on a tailor-made double play ball spiraling into five runs for the Frogs as they climbed back within 9-6. Taylor Penn entered the game with the bases loaded and no outs with TCU just one swing away from tying the game. Unfazed, the sophomore transfer got a double play against the three-hole batter and a groundout to keep the Sun Devils on top. He would go on to toss 4.0 scoreless innings of relief, with just one hit allowed and four strikeouts to earn his third win of the season.

Final straw
With Penn holding down the fort on the bump in the middle innings, the Sun Devils quietly rebuilt their lead. They got one back in the bottom of the fourth behind two passed balls before adding a three-spot in the bottom of the sixth with Garrett Michel launching a two-run tank to opposite left center for his second of the year before Dean Toigo followed with his fourth homer in the last five games. The Sun Devils tacked on a pair of matchsticks in the seventh and eighth to keep the pressure on.

The big number
9 - The Sun Devils have not been shy about putting up crooked numbers this season and Saturday was no exception. ASU’s nine-run third inning marked the most runs scored in a single frame by the Devils this season. It was the 14th time the team had recorded five or more runs in an inning in the squad’s 18 games this season. The frame had a little of everything as it was keyed by seven singles - for of which plated runs - before Landon Hairston came through for his third grand slam of the season. It was ASU’s fifth grand slam of the season.

Inning by inning
First inning
Alex Overbay pitched a clean top of the first, retiring the side with a strikeout and two groundouts to short. 

Landon Hairston kicked off the bottom of the first with a double to right center, but was left stranded as three straight groundouts followed. 

Second inning
Overbay returned to the mound and allowed a single up the middle to begin the inning. He recouped, getting out the next two batters on a fly out and strike out before hitting a batter, putting runners on first and second. Overbay then gave up a single to center field, scoring the runner from second and allowing TCU to take the early 1-0 lead. Overbay was able to limit the damage with a ground out to end the inning. 

After another groundout to start the bottom of the second, Dean Toigo hit a single to right center. The Sun Devils could not continue the momentum as two fly outs followed to bring the inning to a close. 

Third inning
Starting the second time through the order, Overbay retired the first batter on a groundout before issuing a four-pitch walk. However, a groundout and a foul out followed to finish off the scoreless frame.

Back-to-back singles from Beckett Zavorek and Hairston put runners at the corners with no outs for the Sun Devils. An RBI fielder’s choice from PJ Moutzouridis got Arizona State on the board, and a single from Austen Roellig followed. Garrett Michel singled in a run giving ASU a 2-1 lead and putting runners on the corners for Dominic Longo, who singled in a run. Dean Toigo got an RBI knock as well, making it 4-1 Sun Devils. TCU made a pitching change, and Dominic Smaldino welcomed the new pitcher with an RBI-single to left to make it 5-1. A walk from Brody Briggs loaded the bases, and after a Zavorek strikeout, Hairston cleared the bases with a grand slam to deep right field, making it 9-1. 

Fourth inning
A walk by Overbay and a fielding error by Zavorek set runners up on first and third to start the inning before a single from TCU drove in a run. Another single from TCU left the bases loaded, opening the door for another single to score two more runs, making the score 9-4. Two more walks from Overbay added another run to the board for TCU before he was replaced by Taylor Penn. Penn finished off the inning with two groundouts, one of which being a double play, to defend the Sun Devil lead. 

After a fly out to center, Michel was able to get on first after reaching safely on a dropped third strike. Following a swinging strikeout, Toigo singled down the right field line, moving Michel from first to third. Michel continued his dominant baserunning, scoring on a passed ball to move the score to 10-5. 

Fifth inning
Penn returned to the mound, striking out the side. 

Arizona State was not able to get anything going in the bottom of the fifth, going down in order.

Sixth inning
Penn allowed a single to left to start the top of the sixth, before the slate was wiped clean in a double play. A walk put another TCU runner on base but the inning quickly came to a close with a lineout.

The Sun Devils added to their tally with a two-run homerun from Garrett Michel, making it 12-6, causing a TCU pitching change. Despite the change, Dean Toigo followed with a homerun of his own to deep left field, moving the score to 13-6.  

Seventh inning
Penn pitched another clean inning, getting the first two outs via flyout and strikeout before Longo made a great diving catch in right center for the third out, preventing TCU from taking extra bases. 

Briggs grounded out to start the inning, and after Zavorek walked, Hairston reached on a fielder's choice with an error. A sacrifice fly from Moutzouridis made it 14-6, and a single from Roellig put runners on the corners and forced a TCU pitching change. A groundout from Michel ended the frame. 

Eighth inning
Eli Buxton took over on the mound for the Sun Devils, allowing a home run to center at the top of the inning. He managed two flyouts before walking two batters, one of which was able to score on a single to shallow center field, making the score 14-8. Derek Schaefer emerged from the bullpen to relieve Buxton, striking out the batter to bring the inning to a close. 

Longo and Toigo started off the bottom of the eighth with a pair of singles to left center, and a walk from Smaldino loaded the bases forcing another TCU pitching change. Brody Briggs flew out to center, driving in Longo and making it 15-8. A pop out and a flyout followed, sending the game to the ninth.

Ninth inning
Schaefer began by allowing a walk and single to start the inning before striking out the following two batters. After a single to right center, the Sun Devils were able to double up the runner on second, sealing the Arizona State victory. 

Quotables
Head Coach Willie Bloomquist
Opening Statement
“We did a good job sticking to the plan today. We've kind of gotten away from that at times and are continuing to drive home what we believe is going to be successful for these guys. I think they followed it pretty well today, which was good. We did hit our home runs today, which was great, but coming out there in the third, we kind of wore them down with a lot of singles and first to thirds and putting the game in motion; being able to hit behind runners and just take a lot of singles and keep the keep the line moving, which was outstanding. And obviously, Landon came up with the big grand slam there to cap it off. But prior to that, it was just one good at-bat after another and passing the torch to the next guy. So that was very encouraging and a step in the right direction.”

On the positives to take from the offensive outbursts
“Those are things that we're emphasizing, trying to put the ball in play with two strikes, two out RBIs, two strike RBIs. Those are all things that that really can wear down and take the heart of the other team. Last night, TCU broke our backs with a couple of two-out two-strike RBIs that really cost us. So anytime you can have a good two strike approach, which we're trying to emphasize more and more, those types of things win games, because it brings the pitch count up on the opposing pitcher, and you can end it with getting on base. That's huge, right? And if you can keep that line going and keep stacking good at-bats on top of each other, it makes for a fun offense.”

On Dominic Longo’s versatility in the field
“(Longo) can play third base. I could bring him in tomorrow to play third base. He does an outstanding job there, too. This is just what our team needed right now, for him to play center field and go out there and have his bat in the lineup. He’s taken to it pretty quickly. In the past, he's played some corner outfield, but he kind of has some sneaky speed out there, and made that very difficult play there in the seventh inning where he made that diving catch. Him making those plays is big for us. With the dynamics in our roster makeup that we have, with (Austen) Roellig, Beckett Zavorek, and PJ (Moutzouridis), and when Nu’u hopefully gets healthy, Finn Leach, we have good infielders. Not to say we don't have good outfielders too, but that's just kind of where he fits best in our lineup and best in the team position wise, where he is going to benefit us the most.”

On Taylor Penn’s four innings in relief
“I can't tell you how big that was, that Taylor Penn did what he did, just an outstanding job. Pitched with confidence and conviction and good tempo. It kept the game going there, kept things moving and it saved our bullpen. We were just really hoping to get through probably the sixth. We would have been lucky to get through the sixth with him, and he got us through the seventh. And there was half a notion to send him back out there in the eighth, with his pitch count being only 48 pitches, but him having four ups right there, I thought that he had probably done his job. He did more than his job, to be honest. But in this ballpark, with the teams we’re playing, there's no easy outs. If we can steal innings and steal outs to not tax the next guy, that matters in the long run, those stack up.”

Outfielder Landon Hairston

On his offensive improvement this year
“Being more comfortable in the box and knowing myself as a hitter. Last year was a lot of learning, not really sure where I fit into the college game, but now I have a season under my belt. I know things that work for me and don’t work for me."

On having three grand slams this season
“This is not something you plan for, I give a lot of credit to the guys in front of me. That doesn’t happen if they don’t get on base, so it is really a team stat if you ask me. Obviously I hit the homerun, but my teammates getting on is huge, and we’ll keep rolling with that.”

Pitcher Taylor Penn

On entering the game with baserunners already on
“You just have to stick to an easy approach. You are just looking for one out at a time. You can’t do too much, because that is when it spirals.”

On remaining consistent this season
“Just throwing strikes and trusting the defense. I don’t have to do it all. It’s a good thing knowing you don’t have to do it all and I have people behind my back.”

Outfielder Dominic Longo

On moving to center from the infield
““The transition was pretty smooth, actually. I’ve been really having a lot of fun out there. I always say it reminds me of playing football, I played all through high school; just going out there, making plays and giving it my all. To be honest, I just have a lot of fun playing out there and when you have confidence and you’re comfortable, that’s what happens. 

Outfielder Dean Toigo

On the team improving their approach at the plate
“We were just a little bit more locked in at the plate. We got too big last night, first Big 12 game, and got out of ourselves a little bit. Tonight we were able to settle in and we did pretty good.”

On maintaining confidence
“The confidence is always there. You have to have a short memory, it’s baseball. You’re going to have bad games, stuff happens, so it’s just about bouncing back from those.”