Baseball walks off first extra inning game of the year in 4-3 victory over GCU

Turning point
The Sun Devils struggled to get anything going offensively for the first half of the game, putting up five zeroes on the board before Dean Toigo broke through for his sixth homer in the last seven games in the sixth inning to get ASU on the board. GCU immediately responded in the seventh by getting the run back and reclaiming a 3-1 lead before Coen Niclai notched his first big swing of the night - a two-run blast to opposite right center to even the game at 3-3. 

Big moment
The Sun Devils needed someone to hold down the mound and give the bats a chance to rally and that came in the form of Colby Guy. The transfer from UNC Asheville essentially retired all eight batters he faced as he spun a masterful 2.2 scoreless innings of work with four strikeouts. Guy’s efforts quelled the GCU momentum that had built in the middle innings and put the Sun Devils in position to extend the game.

Final straw
Sometimes you’re the bird and sometimes you’re the statue and in the bottom of the tenth inning of ASU’s first extra-inning game of the season, the Sun Devils were the former. With two outs and a runner on second, Niclai grounded a ball down the left field chalk that looked like it would send the game to the 11th inning. But the ball skipped off third base and over the head of the third baseman and into the outfield. ASU looked like it would have runners on the corners after the lucky bounce but were gifted another lucky moment on St. Patrick’s Day as the left fielder overran the ball in the outfielder, allowing Dominic Smaldino to motor home for the walk-off victory.

The big number
2 - The Sun Devil pitchers had been prone to giving up free passes via the walk at numerous points this season but have vastly cut down on those over its last two games, recording just three on Sunday against #17 TCU before walking just a pair tonight. The team walked 15 combined in its first two games against the Horned Frogs last weekend, with three of those scoring the decisive runs in the 5-4 loss on Friday. Two outs were also a big number for ASU on Tuesday with the Sun Devils holding GCU to 0-for-10 batting with two outs while batting 5-for-12 (.417) itself, including the game-winning single. 

Inning by inning
First inning
Easton Barrett took the mound for the Sun Devils, tossing a 1-2-3 inning with three groundouts. 

Consecutive hits from Landon Hairston and PJ Moutzouridis kicked off the frame, but a strikeout followed by a lineout double play ended the inning. 

Second inning
Barrett returned to the bump where he delivered a quick first out before issuing a walk, allowing the Lopes to get their first baserunner. A flyout gave GCU its second out. The runner was able to steal second on the following play, but a strikeout ended the top of the inning.

Dominic Smaldino started the inning with a single to left center, but was thrown out trying to stretch it into a double. A groundout and a strikeout followed, keeping the score at 0-0. 

Third inning
After issuing back to back strikeouts to open the third, Barrett allowed a baserunner on a four-pitch walk. However, a lineout to Smaldino got the third out. 

Coen Niclai led off the inning with a walk, but Beckett Zavorek grounded into a double play immediately after. Hairston delivered a two-out single up the middle, and Moutzouridis walked. Roellig flew out to right to end the inning. 

Fourth inning
Jaden Alba relieved Barrett and took over pitching duties, and he retired the side on a strikeout, groundout and flyout. 

After back-to-back outs, Dominic Longo singled to first. He then advanced to second after Ky McGary was hit by a pitch, but the Sun Devils were unable to capitalize.   

Fifth inning
After delivering a strikeout to start the inning, Alba ran into trouble, as four consecutive singles drove in two runs for the Lopes and loaded the bases. A fielder’s choice got an out at home, and a groundout got the third out, with GCU leading 2-0. 

The Sun Devils were not able to get anything going in the fifth, going down in order.

Sixth inning
Josh Butler took the hill to start the sixth. Following a groundout, GCU got a runner to second on a double, but Butler ended the inning by delivering consecutive strikeouts. 

After a groundout, Dean Toigo crushed a home run to right center, cutting GCU’s lead to 2-1. A flyout and another groundout ended the inning. 

Seventh inning
Butler gave up a double to start the inning, and a groundout moved the runner over to third. Colby Guy was the next man up for the Sun Devils. A fielder’s choice scored the runner, making it 3-1, Lopes. Niclai threw out a runner at second for the second out, and a strikeout closed out the frame. 

Garrett Michel led off with a pinch hit walk, and Niclai tied up the game with a home run to deep right, making it a 3-3 ballgame. Zavorek flew out to center field, and Hairston struck out for the first two outs. Moutzouridis laced a two-out single to center, then advanced to second on a wild pitch. Roellig singled to short, but Moutzouridis was caught between third and home for the third out. 

Eighth inning
Guy threw a 1-2-3 inning with a foul out, strikeout and groundout.

The Sun Devils started the inning with a fly out, but Smaldino advanced to first after a hit-by-pitch. A wild pitch allowed for Smaldino to advance to second and another hit-by-pitch got Garrett Michel on first with two outs, but the Maroon and Gold ended the inning with two runners on base.  

Ninth inning
Guy put up another three-up, three-down inning, bookended by strikeouts. 

Hairston reached with a one-out single, and Moutzouridis worked a two-out walk, but both were left stranded as Toigo flew out to right to end the inning, sending the game to extras.

Tenth inning
Finn Edwards was the next man out of the bullpen and made quick work of the inning, delivering three strikeouts in a row. 

Smaldino singled through the left side to start the bottom of the tenth, but back-to-back outs put the pressure on Niclai when he stepped up to the plate. Niclai delivered with a single off third base, advancing Smaldino to third. An error on the left fielder allowed Smaldino to score and finish the game for the Sun Devils.

Quotables
Head Coach Willie Bloomquist
Opening Statement
“Never gonna be disappointed about a win, especially a walk-off. We came out and did what we had to do to get a win. Coen (Niclai) came up big with not only the two run homer, but with the base hit there at the end. The left fielder just came really hard after that ball and just misplayed it, unfortunate for him. But you know, (Dominic) Smaldino was running extremely hard there and didn't slow down, and was able to score on the walk-off there. But I can't say enough about the job Colby Guy did tonight. Finn Edwards threw the heck out of it. Easton Barrett kind of got back in the saddle there too. Jaden Alba threw the ball fine, I thought. Just made a couple of mistakes there ahead in the count. But all in all, pitching kind of saved us tonight. With only two walks, no errors, we didn't give any free bases, any free 90s, any extra 90 feet. That was kind of the difference in the game, in my opinion, with the lackluster, kind of sloppy offense tonight.”

On Colby Guy’s performance out of the bullpen
“He came out, peppering the zone, throwing strikes again. Being able to throw the off speed for strikes too is big. Obviously, he's got a big arm. He's a low to mid, sometimes upper 90s guy. But everyone can hit a fastball these days, so you have to be able to throw off speed pitches for strikes. He even threw a change up for a strike today, which was big. So a big step in the right direction for him as well.”

On Coen Niclai’s big night
“Just did a great job, saved us offensively. We were pretty lackluster. We had some hits, but we just couldn't string much together. Couldn't get that big hit with two outs. But he came up and popped a two run homer there to tie it, and obviously came up with a big hit at the end. So we needed somebody to step up. He did a good job tonight.”

On having consistency from Coen Niclai and Brody Briggs behind the plate
“We’re going to need that. And we knew that going in, if that's how it was going to be with Coen and Briggs, both of them we’re going to get a lot of time early on. And we'll play matchups if we have to. The guy that's swinging the bat and catching the best is going to get the lion's share of playing time, but both those guys have done a great job. So I get to pick and choose who I think is the better matchup, not only behind the plate or who's pitching, but also from an offensive standpoint.”

Outfielder Dean Toigo

On Landon Hairston being the leadoff hitter
“Hitting is contagious. [Hairston] leading off and doing what he does, it builds confidence in you and it takes a little bit of confidence away from the pitcher. It's big to have leadoff runners on there, I think that's the biggest thing. Leadoff runners are very important, and we’ve got a pretty darn good leadoff guy.”

On today's crowd
“I definitely try to mix, but seeing early in the game that they were allowing me to land it for a strike and then once I started expanding down and they were swinging, me and Coach Ricardo stuck with that because if it's not broke, don't fix it. I was definitely spinning it well today and I think that led to a lot of success.”

Pitcher Colby Guy

On how he’s stayed consistent with pitching
“Just trying to stay calm. It's my last year, so trying to leave everything out on the field and just being calm out there. It's a lot of mental stuff, but I just try to just look at the foul pool and just say ‘this is my moment’ and keep going from there.”

On staying ready in a bullpen game like today
“I try to think, ‘just be ready when my time is coming,’ and everybody just has the same mindset. So just be ready, because everybody's going to be a part of this win.”

Catcher Coen Niclai

On added pressure when the pitching is solid, but the offense can’t get anything started
“We're just playing our game. I think both sides of the ball know the strengths that we have and how good we can be. I think today the pitchers stepped up for us, and we appreciate that and hopefully down the road we're able to step up for them in some tight spots. And I think everybody just appreciates the strength on both sides of the ball."

On using moments like this win to bring the team closer together
"It's great. You're learning from all the older guys when you're coming in, all the returners that are coming in. Just figuring out how the locker room works, how we do on the field, how to just make each other better. So, like Dean said, just all the veterans in the locker room, it's good to see.”