(Phoenix, AZ) Sun Devil Baseball thwarted the UNLV Rebels’ high-powered offense in a 6-3 victory Tuesday night at Phoenix Municipal Stadium.
UNLV came in averaging more than 17 runs per game in 2023. ASU held the Rebels scoreless through six innings and built a 3-0 lead behind the strong arm of Josh Hansell and home runs off the booming bats of Ryan Campos, Ethan Long, and Wyatt Crenshaw
ASU hit back-to-back homers in the first inning from Campos and Long, never relinquishing the lead en-route to victory.
THE TURNING POINT
The Rebels’ earned two RBI’s early into the seventh inning, and had dno outs when Ryan Campos lasered a ball to Luke Hillto complete a catcher-shortstop pick off. The Sun Devils then caught a fly ball and left runners stranded on first and second with a groundout to close the inning.
THE BIG MOMENT
After closing out a two-error first inning without giving up a run, the Sun Devils’ first frame at bat proved flashy withRyan Campos and Ethan Long hitting back-to-back solo homers with two outs in the inning.
THE FINAL STRAW
After closing out UNLV’s two-run inning in the seventh, the Sun Devils began their frame with two doubles, and added an RBI fly out to keep their lead at four runs. This stymied the Rebels’ hopes of late-game heroics.
NOTABLES
With the win, Sun Devil Baseball has won its opening four games of the season for the first time since 2019 and just the fifth time since 2010.
ASU has had first inning home runs in three of four games this season. There have been five total home runs in first innings through four games, back-to-back jacks against UNLV.
The back-to-back home runs were the first since Joe Lampe (2-run) and Drew Swift in a 9-6 victory over Hawai’i on Feb. 9, 2021.
Four men have hit first inning home runs, with Luke Keaschall leading the way (2).
Ryan Campos’ first inning home run was the third total blast of his career.
Luke Hill swiped second base in the second inning, the first steal of his career.
Hill also went 3-3 at the dish with an RBI double and a walk, his third multi-hit game and first career three hit game just four contests into his freshman campaign.
Christian Bodlovich inherited runners on first and third in the seventh inning. They were the 63rd and 64th inherited runners of his career. He has allowed just 17-of-64 to score, including 11-of-37 in 2022 and 1-5 in 2023.
Ethan Long wad 2-2 with two walks, the third time in his career he has been on a base four times.
The Sun Devil pitching staff UNLV was held to season low eight runs scored.
Sun Devil Baseball pitching held the Rebels to seven scoreless frames, more than their entire first three games combined (6).
Additionally, ASU tied UNLV’s season high in runs allowed with six.
Josh Hansel tossed a Sun Devil career best three innings and three strikeouts.
In four games this season, starting pitchers for Sun Devil Baseball have been electric. In four games, they have combined for 16.1 innings of shutout baseball, striking out 17 and allowing just seven hits and six walks. Additionally, no ASU starting pitcher has given up more than two hits in an outing, with Hansell’s one knock allowed against UNLV.
Matt Tieding earned his first Division I win, hurling two shutout, one-hit innings in relief of Hansel.
A key metric for both teams was attacking early in counts. ASU’s offense was 4-9 on first pitches in play with three runs scored. UNLV was 2/8 on first pitches in play with zero runs scored.
The three run margin of victory is the largest for ASU this season.
ASU’s offense put its best hitters in position to succeed, as leadoff hitter Keaschall started four innings for ASU as the first batter.
Sun Devil Baseball had 10 hits, the second time this season ASU has had double-digit knocks.
Wyatt Crenshaw went 2-4 with a homer and two runs scored. He is seeing a beachball at the plate, hitting .571 with one homer and three RBI. Two of the RBI and the home run came against UNLV.
Press Release courtesy of Sun Devil Athletics – Preston Frickes and Keenan O’Rourke
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