(Phoenix, AZ) Sun Devil Baseball (4-2, 0-0) earned a bounce-back 14-4 victory over Ohio State (3-3, 0-0) on Friday evening at Phoenix Municipal Stadium. With 17 hits on offense while striking out 17 Buckeye batters, the Sun Devils never looked back after a four-run second inning.
After ASU went down in the first inning, Isaiah Jackson’s team-leading fourth home run of the season got the scoring started in the bottom of the second. The reliable sophomore added another hit for his 10th of the season, third-most after the 11 hits from Harris Williams and Jacob Tobias. Williams notched four in five at-bats tonight, scoring three runs himself and adding two RBIs. Tobias had a two-out home run in the sixth and batted four runs in tonight.
Freshman pitcher Thomas Burns got his second Friday night start, recording eight strikeouts despite giving up a home run to the first batter he faced. Burns pitched 4.1 innings and threw 91 pitches, allowing four hits, two runs, and one walk. Matt Corneliuscame in and escaped the fifth inning after allowing a double. He added five strikeouts of his own over 2.1 innings, and didn’t give up another hit. Freshman Wyatt Halvorson came up clutch in the last two innings, throwing four strikeouts and not allowing a hit.
TURNING POINT
The Sun Devils lit up the scoreboard in the second inning, kicked off by Isaiah Jackson’sfourth home run of the season. Ethan Mendoza followed with his first extra base hit of the season, a triple off the right wall. He was brought in as Kien Vu reached on an error. Vu stole second before Harris Williams was walked. With two outs, Brandon Compton and Ryan Campos both singled to bring Vu and Williams home and leave the second with a 4-1 lead.
BIG MOMENT
Leading 6-2 in the bottom of the sixth, Williams singled to center field and advanced to second on a fielding error. Brandon Compton’s ensuing single to center field brought Williams around the bases. A groundout to the pitcher got Compton to second, and he advanced to third on a wild pitch. Jacob Tobias stepped up to the plate and hammered a two-out home run to go up 9-2 heading into the seventh.
FINAL STRAW
A sloppy seventh inning from Ohio State’s bullpen saw three pitchers take the mound, giving up four hits, a walk, and a score on a wild pitch. Arizona State’s second four-run inning of the evening put them ahead 14-4, and three strikeouts from Wyatt Halvorson in the top of the eighth all but sealed the deal.
INNING BY INNING
First Inning
After the first Ohio State batter went yard, freshman pitcher Thomas Burns sandwiched a deep fly to right between two strikeouts to end the frame.
Ryan Campos got on first via walk, but was stranded after a groundout to second base.
Second Inking
The top of the second inning was held by the Sun Devils with Burns striking out two batters back to back, followed by Ethan Mendoza fielding the third out.
Isaiah Jackson started the Sun Devils off strong with a homer to right center, putting the first run on the board for the Sun Devils. Mendoza kept the momentum going with a triple off the right wall. Kien Vu brought in Mendoza to give the Sun Devils a 2-1 lead. With two outs and two runners on, Brandon Compton brought in a third run followed by another RBI from Ryan Campos, giving the Sun Devils a 4-1 lead going into the third.
Third Inning
Burns retired the first two Buckeye batters looking, and a groundout that left a bat flying towards the mound brought the Sun Devil offense back out.
Three Sun Devils got out via fly to center field, strikeout, and a grounder to third base.
Fourth Inning
Burns continued to bring the heat by starting the fourth inning with a strikeout. One Buckeye singled to right field, but was left stranded on Burns’ eighth strikeout of the night. .
Kien Vu led the inning off with a double off the right center wall, followed by Steven Ondinaadvancing Vu off of a bunt. Williams brought Vu in, giving the Sun Devils a 5-1 lead and causing a pitching change. To welcome the Buckeyes’ pitcher to Sun Devil territory, Williams stole second on a pickoff attempt. The play at second was reviewed and was upheld as safe. The inning ended with a deep fly to right field leaving Williams out on the field.
Fifth Inning
The Buckeyes started the inning off with a home run again, followed by a single and a deep fly to left field that caused pitcher Matt Cornelius to end Burns’ night. Burns threw 91 pitches over 4.1 innings, recording eight strikeouts and allowing one walk, four hits, and two runs. Cornelius struck out his first batter before a double placed runners on second and third. He then fielded a grounder to close the frame.
Kevin Karstetter singled through the right side, followed by Isaiah Jackson singling to right field and bringing Karstetter to third. A fly out to center field brought him home. Jackson advanced to second on a balk, but was stranded on another fly out to center.
Sixth Inning
Matt Cornelius handled all three Ohio State batters striking out the side holding Ohio State at two runs, 6-2.
Williams got a double of an Ohio State error. Compton brought in Williams off of a hit to center field, 7-2. Tobias came up to bat with two outs and Compton on second, Compton stole third on a catching error. Tobias with a homerun brought in Compton and himself, giving the Sun Devils 9-2. Ohio State had back-to-back walks, walking Karstetter and Jackson with two outs on the board. Mendoza ended the inning grounding out leaving Karstetter on second.
Seventh Inning
A fielding error left a Buckeye on second. After Cornelius’ fifth strikeout, he was replaced by freshman Bradyn Barnes. A walk and a wild pitch left runners on second and third before a second walk filled the bases. Another wild pitch brought one run in. A miscommunication on a grounder towards first left the runner safe and one run came in, but Barnes threw a second runner out at home to escape the frame up 9-4.
A fresh Ohio State pitcher began with a strikeout before letting up three hits to Steven Ondina, Harris Williams, and Brandon Compton in consecutive at-bats. Ondina made it home on Compton’s hit. Another new pitcher walked Campos to fill the bases, then let Williams reach home on a wild pitch. Compton scored on a single from Jacob Tobias, leaving the seventh up 13-4.
Eighth Inning
Wyatt Halvorson started the inning by giving up one walk followed by striking out three Ohio State batters leaving the score 13-4.
ASU was able to add one run to the board by starting off with an off the wall triple from Vu. Williams was able to bring in Vu with a double, 14-4. Eamonn Lance was up with two outs and Williams on second but was not able to bring in Williams.
Ninth Inning
After a walk and a strikeout from Wyatt Halvorson, the Buckeyes grounded into a double play to end the game.
ON DECK
Sun Devil Baseball faces Ohio State for the third game of the four-game series on Saturday at Phoenix Municipal Stadium. The game will begin at 12:00 p.m. MST.
Press Release courtesy of Sun Devil Athletics – Jeremy Hawkes
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