(Salt Lake City, UT) Another offensive eruption propelled Sun Devil Baseball to a series-winning 15-9 victory over Utah on the road in Salt Lake City on Saturday.
ASU racked up 18 hits – the third game in the last six games the team has 17 or more hits – and scored more runs against the Utes than Utah had allowed in a game this season.
Luke Keaschall was 4-for-5 with four RBIs, a homer and a double. Nu’u Contrades was 4-for-6 with three RBIs and four runs scored. Wyatt Crenshaw added a 3-for-5 day with three RBIs, two doubles and a homer.
Matt Tieding earned the win after 3.0 scoreless innings of relief, having to come into the game early and get ASU out of a jam in the third inning. Owen Stevenson squashed any late Utah momentum with six up and six down to shut the door at the end of the game.
TURNING POINT
It was some déjà vu of yesterday after ASU jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead in the top of the first – the 12th time in 19 games ASU has scored in the first – but free bases immediately bit ASU in the bottom half of the frame and Utah scored three runs to take a 3-2 lead. Like yesterday though, the Sun Devils had an immediate response – dropping a five-spot in the top of the second to jump out to a 7-3 lead it wouldn’t relinquish throughout the game. Crenshaw had a two-run homer in the frame and Keaschall had an RBI double.
BIG MOMENT
The two teams exchanged a pair of runs in the bottom of the third and top of the fourth to make it 9-5 before two scoreless frame. ASU dropped four runs in the top of the seventh and looked to have put the game away on Luke Keaschall’s two-run shot to center field. But Utah came right back with four of their own in the bottom half and looked ready to add more on a slicing ball to the gap in right center that would have made it a two-run game. But Isaiah Jackson appeared out of nowhere to snag the liner before it dropped to keep it a four-run game.
FINAL STRAW
Owen Stevenson didn’t allow any late-inning dramatics, retiring all six batters he faced in the eighth and ninth inning – three of which by strikeout. Contrades and Keaschall, like they have all week, knocked ninth-inning RBI singles to make it a six-run game.
INNING-BY-INNING
First Inning
Wyatt Crenshaw rocked a double to opposite left center on the very first pitch of the game and Nu’u Contrades – up to the two-hole for the first time this season – rewarded him with an RBI poke through the right side to give ASU a quick 1-0 lead. Ryan Campos drew a walk and Luke Keaschall moved the runners into scoring position with a sac bunt. With two outs on the board, Contrades made a perfect down-ball read on a ball in the dirt that skirted away from the Utah catcher, swiping home and giving ASU an early 2-0 lead.
Curtis struggled with his command early, loading the bases without allowing a hit and allowing a run on an RBI ground out. A two-out, two-run double led to two more runs to give the Utes a 3-2 lead early. Curtis did manage to strand a pair in scoring position with a strikeout to limit the damage.
Second Inning
Jackson reached on a one-out infield single and took second on a throwing error and Drake Varnado drove him home with an RBI single in his first career start to tie the game at 3-3. Two pitches later, Wyatt Crenshaw put the Sun Devils back on top with a no-doubt two-run shot to right field to make it 5-3. Campos drew his second walk in as many innings and Luke Keaschall followed with an RBI double to make it 6-3. Tobias walked to load the bases with one out and that chased the Utah starter. Cano drew an RBI walk to make it 7-3 before a double-play ended the threat.
ASU got a much-needed 1-2-3 frame in the bottom half of the inning, fueled by three nice defensive plays by Jacob Tobias at first base.
Third Inning
Isaiah Jackson drew a leadoff walk but would end up stranded at third in the inning. The Utes loaded the bases with no outs on three straight singles and that would chase Curtis from the game. A fourth single in a row would bring a run across but Tieding got a strikeout and induced a sac fly followed by a groundout to limit the damage to just two runs.
Fourth Inning
The ASU offensive came right back with a Campos HBP and singles from Keaschall and Tobias to load the bases with no outs. Utah made a pitching change and Willie Cano drew another RBI walk and Jackson brought another home on a sac fly to make it 9-5. Tieding stranded a one-out single for a scoreless frame to keep the lead at four.
Fifth Inning
The Devils went down in order for the first time in the game. A leadoff walk led to no trouble as Tieding got the next three outs for another scoreless frame.
Sixth Inning
A one-out single from Jacob Tobias was the extent of the damage in the sixth. Timmy Manning entered and allowed two baserunners via walk and HBP but escaped the frame with no damage done.
Seventh Inning
Isaiah Jackson led off with a single, stole second and took third on a wild pitch, scoring on a one-out Crenshaw double. Contrades stayed hot with an RBI through the right side to make it 11-5. After Campos gave one a ride to the warning track in center, Keaschall made up the difference with a two-out, two-out shot to just left of the batter’s eye to make it a four-run frame and a 13-5 advantage.
Utah didn’t go quietly into the night, immediately responding with four more runs of its own to cut it back to 13-9 and were looking for more on a slicing ball to right center that likely would have cut it to a two-run lead before Isaiah Jackson soared out of nowhere for an incredible diving catch to rob extra bases and runs and keep the lead at four.
Eighth Inning
Cano led off with an infield single but a double play and deep flyout to the warning track from Jackson ended ASU’s attempt to regain the momentum. Owen Stevenson entered and did his part to make sure Utah didn’t continue to feel itself, with a nice play from Campos to snag a ball off the foul line before it rolled foul to make an easy play at first after the Utah runner thought the ball went foul. Back-to-back backwards Ks from Stevenson made it a prompt 1-2-3 frame.
Ninth Inning
The Devils didn’t leave anything to chance with a Kien Vu double setting the table for Contrades’ fourth hit of the day, an RBI single to make it 14-9. Campos drew his third walk of the day and Luke Keaschall added his fourth RBI of the day with a rocket shot back down broadway to make it 15-9.
There were no late dramatics tonight as Stevenson retired the side in order, highlighted by an incredible stab from Tobias going into foul territory and a fadeaway toss back to Stevenson covering the bag at first.
ON DECK
ASU will look to sweep the series from Utah tomorrow at 12 p.m. AZT (1 p.m. local) at Smith’s Ballpark in Salt Lake City. The game will be available via the Utah Live Stream and available over local airwaves on KDUS 1060 AM.
Press Release courtesy of Sun Devil Athletics – Jeremy Hawkes
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