(Phoenix, AZ) Sun Devil Baseball stayed in the win column under the night sky Thursday night at Phoenix Municipal Stadium. The Sun Devils (21-9, 8-2 Pac-12) never led in the game until the final pitch, walking off Washington State (18-10, 6-6 Pac-12) with a three-run ninth inning to win the first game of the series over the Cougars.
The Sun Devils have continued their hot stretch, winning 15 of the last 17 games and the opening game each of its four conference series.
It was the second straight Pac-12 game that ASU trailed after seven innings but came from behind to win. It was ASU’s third walk-off win of the year after having none last season and fifth one-run victory after having just one a year ago.
Timmy Manning was massive in relief, going 4.1 innings after having to enter the game in the third inning and matching a career high with six strikeouts while allowing only one run to save the Sun Devil bullpen.
Luke Hill managed to go 3-for-4, the fourth time this season reaching the three-hit mark and none more important than continuing the ninth-inning rally with a single.
Jacob Tobias reached base twice and kick-started the Sun Devil rally with a solo home run to cut the ASU deficit in half. The Sun Devils strung together some solid at-bats to load the bases with no outs and used a Isaiah Jackson sac fly to tie it before Kien Vu dropped a blooper toward center field, sealing the game for good with his only hit of the contest.
TURNING POINT
After the Sun Devils allowed three runs in the first inning, Luke Hill hit a three-run home run in the second inning to tie things up. Timmy Manning was phenomenal out of the bullpen over 4.1 innings with two hits and tying a career-high with six strikeouts. The Cougars mustered two unanswered solo shots to take a two-run lead into the final inning but it was Manning’s efforts that kept ASU within striking distance throughout.
BIG MOMENT
Trailing 5-3 in the top of the ninth with two-runners on and WSU’s three-hole hitter at the plate, catcher Ryan Campos successfully picked off a Cougar baserunner at first to end the threat and keep it a two-run game. With the dugout fired up, Jacob Tobias – who received the pickoff at first – led off the bottom of the ninth inning with a 418-foot home run over the Whiteman Family Performance Center.
FINAL STRAW
The Sun Devils loaded the bases with their next three batters with two singles and a walk. Isaiah Jackson drove in the game-tying run with a ball to the right-center warning track. On the next at-bat, Kien Vu drove in the game-running run with a single to shallow center field.
INNING-BY-INNING
First Inning
Washington State managed three runs off of four hits, they loaded the bases twice but the Sun Devils managed to limit the damage with two sacrifice flies,
The Sun Devils went down the order to send the game into the second frame, being down 3-0.
Second Inning
Two flashy plays by Nu’u Contrades sent the Cougars down the order to send the Sun Devils back to the plate.
Luke Keaschall belted the Sun Devils first hit of the game toward the left field wall with a double, then Jacob Tobias trotted to first base. From there, Luke Hill equalized the game with a three-run homer to make it a 3-3 game.
Third Inning
Timmy Manning entered the game for the Sun Devils, sending the Cougars down the order for the second consecutive inning.
Contrades reached base for the second consecutive time off of a throwing error by Washington State’s shortstop, but he was stranded after their third baseman made a web-gem to keep ASU from taking the lead.
Fourth Inning
The Cougars retook the lead with a solo home run toward right field, going up 4-3 before sending the game to the bottom frame.
With two outs, Wyatt Crenshaw managed a double but the tying run was stranded moving into the fifth frame.
Fifth Inning
After allowing a lead-off batter to get on base, the Cougars failed to threaten stranding two, with a Manning strikeout that stunned the WSU batter to escape the inning.
The Sun Devils went down the order without generating any action on the bases.
Sixth Inning
Timmy Manning worked the strike zone with an easy 1-2-3 inning notching two strikeouts to limit the Cougars on the bases.
For the second straight inning ASU failed to get a man on base as the game continued into the seventh.
Seventh Inning
After Timmy Manning recorded the first out of the inning, he was replaced by Jesse Wainscott who ended the inning with his first strikeout that silenced the Washington State bats.
Two innings of hitless baseball passed but was ended by Luke Hill splitting the gap with a lead-off single. Then an aggressive bunt by Crenshaw was once called safe but after a video review was later called out, moving Hill to second. Isaiah Jackson was supposedly called out after being hit by a pitch, claiming he stuck his elbow out to end the rally for ASU.
Eighth Inning
The opening pitch was smashed by the Cougars, giving them a 5-3 lead but Wainscott retired the next three batters.
Following a hard hit ball toward the warning track, Ryan Campos worked a walk to force another Washington State pitching change. Nevertheless, Campos was stranded as the game headed into the final frame.
Ninth Inning
Brock Peery entered the final frame, stranding two Cougar base runners and managed to end the inning with an emphatic pick-off, keeping the score at 5-3.
Leading off the rally, Jacob Tobias tanked a solo home run for the Sun Devils to cut the deficit to one, Luke Hill worked the opposition and belted a single, then after being down in the count, Wyatt Crenshaw walked putting Sun Devils on first and second prompting a pitching change. Jonny Weaver put down multiple bunts in foul territory then managed to get on base with a fail double play attempt, loading the bases. Isaiah Jackson skied a flyball toward the right field warning track, tying the game at five with runners on first and third. Freshman Kien Vu made the biggest hit of the game dropping a blooper to score the game-winning run.
ON DECK:
The Sun Devils will look to take the series tomorrow at 6:30 p.m AZT at Phoenix Municipal Stadium. Coverage can be seen on ASU Live Stream.
Press Release courtesy of Sun Devil Athletics – Zach Wargo and Sean Lynch
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