Nu’u Contrades continued his unreal tear, going 4-for-6 with two RBIs and two runs scored. Luke Keaschall had three hits and two pivotal RBIs and scored three runs – including a steal of home. Kien Vu added the first three-hit game of his career. Jacob Tobias, Wyatt Crenshaw, and Trey Newman also added multi-hit days.
TURNING POINT
There were numerous turning points in this game, with the Sun Devils rallying from three-run deficits three different times in the contest with pairs of runs to keep the Cal lead within a run throughout the contest, allowing the team to finally break through in the eighth inning. Cal took a 3-0 lead in the second with ASU immediately posting a pair in the third with a Tobias RBI single and a Keaschall steal of home. After Cal got the runs back in the bottom half to make it 5-2, ASU against responded with a two-RBI Wyatt Crenshaw single to get back within one. Cal again made it three with two in the sixth and again ASU got back within a run with a Keaschall RBI double and Hill sac fly.
BIG MOMENT
Despite ASU continually getting back within a run, it couldn’t push across the tying or go-ahead runs. A solo homer in the bottom of the seventh made it 8-6 for Cal, but it was all Sun Devils in the top of the eighth. Crenshaw led off with a walk and singles from Contrades and Campos brought ASU back within a run before Keaschall tied things up with his RBI single. After a strikeout, ASU recorded six consecutive singles, starting with Luke Hill’s go-ahead RBI liner off the third-baseman’s glove. The hit cycle made it 13-8.
FINAL STRAW
The hottest bat in the lineup drove the final stake in, as Nu’u Contrades got the only extra-base hit of the inning – notching a two-RBI double to make it 15-8 and effectively put the game out of reach, especially after Cal scored two in the bottom of the eighth. Owen Stevenson settled in after a tough first couple batters, retired the final six batters he faced in the game to seal the deal.
INNING-BY-INNING
First Inning
Contrades reached on a one-out infield single but ASU could do no more with the baserunner. Cal also managed a one-out single but a double play ended the threat.
Second Inning
Tobias reached on a leadoff single but was wiped off the basepath on a Luke Hill fielder’s choice. ASU executed a nice hit-and-run with Kien Vu to put runners on the corners with one out. A strikeout and a ground out ended the threat and stranded both runners in scoring position after a Vu stolen base.
The Devils faced a threat in the bottom half with leadoff runners reaching on an error and walk and both moving into scoring position on a wild pitch, leading to an unearned run on a sac fly and another on a single up the middle. A walk and a wild pitch led to another unearned sac fly to make it 3-0 early.
Third Inning
Contrades notched his second one-out single of the game with Keaschall notching a two-out single to put runners on first and second. Jacob Tobias laced a single through the right side to plate ASU’s first run of the game with ASU tacking on another on a double steal with runners on the corner, allowing Keaschall to steal home and make it 3-2.
Cal came right back with a two-run homer in the bottom half to make it 5-2.
Fourth Inning
Kien vu led out with an infield single up the middle and Will Rogers walked to keep the pressure on. Trey Newman moved both into scoring position and Wyatt Crenshaw plated both with an RBI single to bring ASU back within a run again. Campos walked to put the tying run in scoring position but a fly ball stranded both.
Josh Hansell entered and put together a much-needed 1-2-3 inning, capped by a nice sliding catch by Jacob Tobias in shallow foul territory in right field.
Fifth Inning
The Devils went down in order despite two hard struck balls from Tobias and Hill. Hansell did the same with a 1-2-3 frame of his own to keep it a one-run game.
Sixth Inning
Newman got a broken bat one-out single but ASU again couldn’t push the tying run across. Cal again pushed the lead back to three with a two-run homer in the bottom half of the frame.
Seventh Inning
Campos drew a leadoff walk and Keaschall immediately rewarded ASU with an RBI double down the opposite right field line to score Campos from first. Tobias walked as Keaschall stole third to put runners on the corners with no outs. Keaschall scored on a Hill sac fly to bring ASU back within a run again. Cal again had a response with an opposite field solo shot in the bottom of the frame to make it 8-6, though ASU did strand a runner at second to keep it close.
Eighth Inning
Crenshaw got a leadoff walk and Contrades third hit of the day put runners on the corners with no outs. Campos laced a single through the right side to bring ASU back within a run yet again. Keaschall evened the game with an RBI single to left and after a Tobias strikeout, Luke Hill got his first hit of the series, an RBI single off the third basemen’s glove to put ASU on top for the first time in the game. Kien Vu then added a shallow fly ball to center for another RBI to make it 10-8. Reese Beheler and Trey Newman followed that with RBI singles of their own to extend the lead to 12-8. A Crenshaw single loaded the bases and Beheler scored on a wild pitch before Contrades drove the dagger home with a two-RBI double to make it 15-8.
Cal did get two runs in the bottom half of the inning with no outs to keep things interesting but Owen Stevenson settled in to get out of the frame with a 15-10 lead
Ninth Inning
The Devils got a pair of baserunners with no hits but couldn’t add to the lead. Stevenson calmly retired the Cal side in order to avoid any drama and send the Devils home with the series win.
ON DECK
The Sun Devils return home for a midweek tilt against Seattle on Tuesday at 6 p.m. AZT at Phoenix Municipal Stadium. The game will be available through the Pac-12 Live Stream.
Press Release courtesy of Sun Devil Athletics – Jeremy Hawkes
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