June 10, 2007
TEMPE, Ariz. - Starting pitcher Josh Satow pitched 7.2 scoreless innings and Brett Wallace went 4-for-5 with three RBI to lead the Arizona State University Sun Devils to a 7-1 victory over Mississippi in the second game of the Tempe Super Regional and clinching the Sun Devils' place in the 2007 College World Series. ASU improved to 48-13 on the year after sweeping their Super Regional at home while the Rebels completed their season with a 40-25 record.
The Sun Devils will now travel to Omaha where they will compete in their 20th CWS and their third under Head Coach Pat Murphy. The last time ASU advanced to the Series came in 2005 where the Sun Devils finished third in the national event.
After two scoreless innings of play, the Sun Devils, who were the visitors in the game, broke open the scoring as C.J. Retherford lined his third home run of the season over the left-field fence to stake ASU to a 1-0 lead. Andrew Romine followed with a double and came around to score one batter later with Wallace also doubling to stake the Sun Devils to a 2-0 lead.
After the Rebels went three-up and three-down in the bottom of the third, the Sun Devils went back on the attack as Matt Spencer drew a lead-off walk and then advanced to third after stealing second and taking third on a throwing error by catcher Alex Kliman on the steal attempt. Tim Smith singled to right to bring home Spencer and increase the lead to 3-0.
With one out, Romine doubled to center field to bring Smith home for a 4-0 lead before Wallace cracked his 16th home run of the season, this time going to right field and bringing Romine home with him for a 6-0 ASU lead.
From there, Satow picked up one strike out while his defense recorded fly-ball outs to keep the slate clean in the scoring column for the Rebels. With two outs and a 2-0 count, Satow was lifted for Jason Jarvis, who came in and struck out Cody Overbeck with one runner on to end the threat and send the game into its final inning.
The Sun Devil offense did not rest in the final stanza as Wallace led off with a single off reliever Cody Satterwhite and then stole second. Eric Sogard followed with an RBI single through the right side to bring home Wallace for the 7-0 lead.
In the bottom of the ninth, Zack Cozart led off with an infield chop single and advanced to second one batter later as Romine could not find the handle on a hard hit grounder from Logan Power. With two on, Cullan Kight lined a shot to left field where a diving Jarred Bogany came up with the catch for the first out.
Evan Button loaded the bases on the next pitch after Jarvis' offering hit the batter. Fuller Smith hit a sacrifice fly to left field to break up the shut out bid before Jordan Henry grounded out to Romine at short to send the Sun Devils back to Omaha.
ASU will open play in Omaha next weekend and will face UC Irvine, who swept host Wichita State today with a 3-2 victory.