Baseball rallies from seven-run deficit to take rubber match series victory at BYU

Turning point
After Kole Klecker struggled through the first two innings of the game, allowing six runs and three homers, the Sun Devil bullpen was called upon to stanch the bleeding and give the ASU offense a chance to rally. The group responded by allowing just two runs over the final seven innings of action and posting five shutout innings to close the game out between Colin Linder, Sean Fitzpatrick and Derek Schaefer. The bullpen struck out 10 batters and allowed just five hits and held BYU to just 1-for-13 hitting with runners on base. 

Big moment
The Sun Devils had two pivotal crooked numbers in the frame, starting with the fourth inning while staring into an 7-0 deficit. With two outs and one aboard, Zavorek was hit by a pitch and Moutzouridis responded with an RBI double. Landon Hairston beat the shift to plate two more. After Nu’u Contrades grounded out with the bases loaded to end the previous inning, he wasn’t having it a second time and laced a base-clearing double with three men on into the right center gap to get ASU back into the game at 7-6. 

After Sean Fitzpatrick recorded a pivotal bases-loaded strikeout to escape the sixth inning with ASU still trailing by just a run at 8-7, Willie Bloomquist went to Ky McGary to pinch hit and lead off the seventh - just his second AB in the month of April. The electric speedster poked one down the right field line into the corner of the outfield for a triple and Matt Polk immediately followed with a sac fly to tie the game for the first time. With two outs, Beckett Zavorek singled on an 0-2 pitch and PJ Moutzouridis ripped a 1-2 RBI double down the left field line for ASU’s first lead of the game. The Sun Devils tacked on one more on an error to make it 10-8.

Final straw
Derek Schaefer entered in the eighth and worked around a one-out single with back-to-back strikeouts to strand the runner in scoring position. The Sun Devils got some more two-out magic in the ninth due to BYU’s fear of pitching to Hairston. With a runner at third and two outs, the Cougars elected to give the ASU star first base and he took second while trying to draw a run to score the runner from third. It was no matter as Roellig stepped to the plate and recorded his third hit of the weekend, a laser over the leaping shortstop that scored both runners for key insurance. After throwing six one-out balls in the bottom of the ninth, the infield converged to rally Schaefer. He responded with a strikeout and a first pitch flyout to earn his sixth save of the season and send ASU back to Tempe as the victors.

The big number
4 - The Sun Devils won their fourth rubber match of the season, moving to 4-1 in such series. Arizona State was 5-1 in such games last season and are a combined 9-2 over the last two seasons - an absurdly notable number as the team was 15-25 in rubber matches from 2016-24. Saturday marked ASU’s second road rubber match victory of the season.

Inning by inning
First inning
Roellig had a one-out single but was thrown out stealing second with two outs and ASU was only able to bring the minimum to the plate in the frame. BYU homered on the very first pitch it saw in the game and added another with one out. The Cougars made Klecker pay for a two-out walk, stealing second and scoring on an RBI single to drop ASU into a 3-0 hole. 

Second inning
Michel reached on an infield single after Contrades flew out to the warning track down the right field line and Polk walked to put two on with one out but a double play quickly ended the threat. Klecker got a quick out and then worked ahead against BYU’s nine-hole batter who was hitting under Mendoza line but Parker Goff ripped a double down the left field line and the inning unraveled from there, resulting in a big three run shot to Ezra McNaughton - who was 0-for-9 for the weekend entering his at-bat - as the Sun Devils fell into a 6-0 hole.

Third inning
Moutzouridis was hit by a pitch with one out and took second on a wild pitch with two outs and Roellig was also hit to put two runners on. BYU went to its bullpen, but the new pitcher immediately walked Toigo to load the bases with a pair of outs but the Sun Devils left them there, unable to break into BYU’s lead. The Cougars extended said lead to 7-0 with a squeeze bunt in the bottom of the frame, though Overbay was able to strand a pair in scoring position to avoid further damage. 

Fourth inning
The Sun Devils finally broke through after a Polk single and Zavorek two-out walk as Moutzouridis recorded his first hit of the weekend on an RBI double. Hairston followed by beating the shift with a two-RBI single to bring ASU back within four. Roellig singled and Toigo legged out an infield single against the shift to load the bases again. Contrades wasn’t going to be denied two innings in a row as he gapped one to right center for a bases-clearing double that brought ASU back within 7-6. BYU had a response though with a leadoff double and walk, plating a run on a sac fly and getting the other to third on a two-out error. A hit batter and stolen base had two more in scoring position but Overbay got another big strikeout to strand them there and keep ASU within 8-6. 

Fifth inning
Polk recorded his seventh hit of the weekend and stole second with one out and Zavorek plated him with a double to the right center gap but the Sun Devils couldn’t bring in the game-tying run, remaining in an 8-7 hole. Colin Linder came in and got two quick strikeouts before walking the BYU leadoff batter. Unfazed, he got the dangerous McNaughton to fly out to right for the first zero of the game on the board for the Sun Devil pitchers. 

Sixth inning
The Sun Devils were unable to capitalize on said zero, going down in order for the first time in the contest. BYU led off with a single and a walk put a pair on with no outs. ASU drew up a great defensive play on a sac bunt attempt, with a charging Garrett Michel from first able to throw over to third in time for the force of the lead runner. Linder got a strikeout for the second out before handing the rock off to Fitzpatrick out of the pen. Fitzpatrick got out to an 0-2 lead in the count but Cooper Jones battled back to walk and load the bases. The team captain was unfazed, freezing the BYU eight-hole batter with a backwards K to strand them there. 

Seventh inning
ASU went with Ky McGary to pinch hit and leadoff the seventh and the youngster responded with a triple down the right field line. Polk followed with a sac fly to center to bring ASU all the way back from its 7-0 deficit, tying the game at 8-8. Zavorek notched a two-out infield single, keeping the inning alive and Moutzouridis delivered by ripping a 1-2 pitch down the left field line for an RBI double and ASU’s first lead of the game. A two-out error by the BYU second baseman allowed Moutzouridis to score after a Hairston walk as ASU took a 10-8 lead into the stretch. Fitzpatrick gave ASU a much needed stop after score with an efficient seven-pitch inning, capped by a nice defensive play by Moutzouridis at shortstop. 

Eighth inning
Contrades worked a four-pitch walk to lead off the frame but a flyout and a tough-luck double play quickly ended the ASU half of the frame. Schaefer entered to close things out and got the dangerous Ryder Robinson to fly out to lead off but BYU brought the tying out to the plate after a one-out single after Polk slipped attempting to field the ball in left. Schaefer rallied, though, with back-to-back strikeouts and held on to the two-run lead.

Ninth inning
Zavorek notched a one-out double and took third on a Moutzouridis flyout. BYU chose to intentionally walk Hairston, who stole second to put two in scoring position with two outs. Roellig made them pay for the decision with a two-RBI single to make it a 12-8 game. Schaefer got a leadoff strikeout but hit the second batter he faced and threw two bad balls to the next batter. A quick infield meeting settled Schaefer back down and he got another strikeout for the second out. But another hit batter made things hairy, with the tying run waiting on deck. Schaefer was able to hold on and get a flyout to right to end the game and secure the series victory for the Sun Devils.