Baseball wins back-and-forth affair late on the road at K-State

Turning point
After leading 3-1 at one point, the Sun Devils watched the Wildcats come back to tie the game in the sixth on a two-run homer and then take the lead after taking advantage of ASU’s two hit batters with two outs in the bottom of the seventh - one of which coming on an 0-2 count. All the momentum shifted KSU’s way with a single through the right side that beat ASU’s shift and made it a 4-3 ball game. The Sun Devils were undeterred. Brody Briggs responded with a leadoff single, beating the shift himself and then taking second after the fielder kicked the ball away. Briggs’ head’s up running put him at third as Finn Leach reached on a fielder’s choice. ASU would hit into a double play but Briggs’ baserunning allowed him to score to even the game at 4-4 in the eighth.

Big moment
The Sun Devils struggled with two outs all night, but they got the two-out knock they needed when they needed it most and it came from a familiar force. With a fan audibly jeering him, noting how he was 0-for-4 when he stepped to the plate with two outs in the eighth and 0-for-5 was coming, Hairston responded with a no-doubt shot to deep right center, a go-ahead homer to give ASU a 5-4 lead that it wouldn’t relinquish.

Final straw
The Sun Devil weren’t out of the woods yet against the potent K-State offense ranked in the Top-25 in most offensive categories in the country. Derek Schaefer was unfazed, entering the game after a two-out single in the bottom of the eighth. With the runner in scoring position, Schaefer got a big strikeout to end the frame. After ASU couldn’t add any insurance in the top of the ninth, Schaefer retook the mound with the heart of the K-State order due up. There would be no drama, though, as he promptly retired the side in order to earn his third save of the season.

The big number
10 - While the Sun Devils struggled to bring runners home themselves on offense, it was the 10 runners stranded by the ASU pitchers that proved to be pivotal to the game. ASU pitching stranded the bases loaded in both the fifth and sixth innings and there were two more left on in the seventh. ASU held K-State to 1-for-8 hitting with runners in scoring position. ASU entered the contest ranked 26th nationally with an average LOB percentage of 72.8 on the season. Kansas State, conversely, had entered the contest ranked second in the country with a team .400 average on the season with runners in scoring position.

Inning by inning
First inning
The Sun Devils smoked two balls at over 105 off the bat but right at infielders as the Sun Devils went down in order. Carlon flashed 99 on the radar gun a couple times as he responded in kind with a 1-2-3 inning of his own.

Second inning
Roellig reached on a leadoff error and ASU put a pair in scoring position with one out on Smaldino’s double with Briggs walking to load the bases but an infield fly and strikeout left them all stranded. Carlon faced a jam of his own in the bottom half of the frame with a pair of walks to lead off the inning. Carlon got a strikeout and Briggs hosed the speedy Dee Kennedy (13-for-14 on stolen bases this season) on a double steal at third. Carlon got a groundout to escape unharmed.

Third inning
Moutzouridis drew a one out walk but was caught stealing himself as ASU only brought the minimum to the plate. Kansas State drew first blood with a one-out full count opposite field shot down the right field line but Carlon tacked on a pair of strikeouts to keep it at a matchstick.

Fourth inning
Roellig reached on a leadoff walk and Michel doubled to put runners in scoring position with no outs and Smaldino drove in the run with an RBI groundout. Briggs followed with an RBI single through the left side to give ASU its first lead at 2-1.  Carlon struck out the heart of the K-State order to give him five punchouts in a row.

Fifth inning
Moutzouridis got a hold of one for his second homer of the season with one out in the fifth - his second consecutive homer against a Friday-night ace - to make it 3-1. Carlon issued a pair of leadoff walks for the second time and a sac bunt moved both into scoring position and a one-out walk loaded the bases. Carlon again escaped the jam with another strikeout and a full-count groundout to keep the Sun Devils on top.

Sixth inning
Michel reached on a leadoff walk and a successful one-out hit and run by Briggs put runners on the corners and an HBP loaded them. That would chase the K-State starter from the game but a flyout and groundout stranded the bases loaded again. K-State led off with a single for just its second hit of the game and a two-run homer tied things at three. Another single chased Carlon from the game and K-State loaded the bases again with a single and a walk with two outs to keep the pressure on but Penn was able to strand the bases loaded for the Devils to keep things even at 3-3.

Seventh inning
Toigo reached on a one-out single and Michel notched a two-out walk and the runners moved into scoring position on a wild pitch by the new KSU pitcher but a strikeout stranded them there. K-State put the go-ahead runs on the basepath on a pair of two-out HBPs - one coming on an 0-2 count - and the Wildcats made ASU pay, beating the shift on a single through the right side to bring one across and a 4-3 lead.

Eighth inning
Briggs beat the shift himself for a leadoff single and took second on an E5 to put the tying run in scoring position and an indecision on a fielder’s choice put runners on the corners with no outs. Briggs would score on a tough double play turn by the Wildcats but Hairston made up for it with the go-ahead solo shot with two outs to make it 5-4. K-State notched a two-out single in the bottom of the inning with the pinch runner stealing second to move into scoring position. Schaefer was unfazed, picking up a strikeout out of the pen to keep ASU on top.

Ninth inning
Smaldino notched a two-out single and Briggs a walk but ASU was unable to add any insurance. Schaefer didn’t need it as he calmly sat down the heart of the K-State order with a 1-2-3 frame to seal the four-out save.