Manning did not allow a hit through 5.1 innings of action in his Sun Devil debut and exited with a mere two allowed. Jesse Wainscott shoved six strikeouts in relief to earn his first win as a Sun Devil, including four over the final two innings with a runner on third. The Aztecs had a runner on third with less than two outs in the seventh (no outs), eighth (one out), and ninth (no outs) innings and the Sun Devils didn’t allow a single run to score.
With two outs and nobody on base in the seventh, Luke Hill doubled down the right field line and was followed by Weaver’s RBI single, propelling the Sun Devils to victory.
THE TURNING POINT
After throwing 5.1 innings of no hit baseball, Timmy Manning gave up a one-out double before being spelled by Christian Bodlovich with runners on first and second. The team fireman recorded the final out of the sixth and forced a fly ball, keeping the contest knotted at zero.
THE BIG MOMENT
Sun Devil Baseball used a two-out rally in the seventh for their only run. Hill smacked a double down the right field line and was immediately followed by an RBI single from Weaver.
THE FINAL STRAW
Wainscott had his best stuff when it mattered most. After a leadoff triple for the Aztecs in the ninth, the Sun Devil closer struck out the next two batters before forcing a groundout up the middle – fielded by Luke Keaschall at second base – to win the game.
INNING BY INNING
First Inning
Timmy Manning began his Sun Devil career with a strikeout on a fastball that caught the inside part of the strike zone. Manning got the next two outs on the ground, sending Arizona State to the plate.
Luke Keaschall sent one just shy of the left field warning track, but the Sun Devils went down in order.
Second Inning
Freshman Isaiah Jackson made the first web-gem of his Sun Devil career, banging into the wall in right-center field to record the first out of the second. Manning sat the next two men down – one on strikes – to end the top of the inning.
Jacob Tobias and Will Rogers each worked walks, but neither advanced as far as scoring position.
Third Inning
After a pop fly to start the frame, Manning buckled the next two hitters on strikes. The second out came on a swing and miss and the third came on an outside curveball that caught the corner to the right-handed hitter.
ASU was unable to come up with its first hit in the bottom half. Both squads were a combined 0-18 through three innings.
Fourth Inning
Manning worked another 1-2-3 inning, including a diving stab and long throw by Luke Hill at shortstop, to end the inning.
Ethan Long recorded the first hit for either squad on a two-out single through the left side. Jacob Tobias earned his second walk of the game, but the Sun Devils could not push anything across as Long was cut down trying to advance to third.
Fifth Inning
Manning worked around a one out walk, not allowing a ball out of the infield and striking out the final batter for his fifth strikeout in as many innings.
Jackson pushed one down the right field line for his first hit of the day, a leadoff single for the Sun Devils. Hill laced a single straight up the middle, moving Jackson to second with no outs. Following a mound visit, Weaver flew out to center, allowing Jackson to advance to third. Keaschall popped out to the catcher to end the frame.
Sixth Inning
Timmy Manning notched two outs in the frame around a one out double.. He struck out his last batter for the second out, tying a career high six punchouts. He was pulled after 5.2 innings of one hit baseball. Christian Bodlovich got SDSU to fly out to end the frame.
ASU worked into the SDSU bullpen, with Wyatt Crenshaw ripping a leadoff double down the right field line. After Ryan Campos lined into a double play, Ethan Long was hit by a pitch and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Tobias grounded out to first to end the frame.
Seventh Inning
Jonah Giblin started the seventh for ASU. The Aztecs led off the seventh with a double and the runner immediately advanced to third on a wild pitch. Giblin forced a hard groundout to Long at first, not allowing the runner to advance. He sat down the next batter down on strikes. Jesse Wainscott entered and after hitting the first batter, ended the frame on a four-pitch strikeout. All three strikes were swinging.
Luke Hill sliced an opposite field double down the right field with two out. Arizona State broke through, as Weaver collected his first hit as a Sun Devil on an RBI single down the left field line to give ASU a 1-0 lead.
Eighth Inning
Wainscott worked around a one-out double to strike out the side in the eighth, all swinging. The runner had advanced to third with just one out.
With one out in the home half of the eighth, Crenshaw picked up his second hit of the afternoon, followed by Campos singling him over to third. A double play ended the inning.
Ninth Inning
The Aztecs did not go down without a fight, leading off the ninth by ripping a triple to the wall in right center field.
Wainscott hunkered down. On a 2-2 count, he painted the outside edge against a lefty batter for a called strike three. The next batter was sent down swinging on an 0-2 offspeed pitch. With two down – and the runner still on third – Wainscott got a grounder to Keaschall at second base and ASU held on for the victory.
ON DECK
Sun Devil Baseball is back in action for its first midweek contest of the season against UNLV. First pitch is set for 6:00 p.m. at Phoenix Municipal Stadium.
Press Release courtesy of Sun Devil Athletics – Josh Schwam, Graduate Media Relations Intern
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