The game was ended after the top of the eighth with ASU on top due to OSU’s travel schedule.
Brandon Compton recorded the go-ahead grand slam in the bottom of the sixth inning to give ASU a 10-8 lead that it wouldn’t relinquish over the final two innings.
Jacob Tobias added three RBIs on 3-of-4 hitting with two doubles while ASU also got two-hit efforts from Harris Williams, Ryan Campos, Isaiah Jackson, Kien Vu and Compton to post 15 knocks on the day.
Tyler Meyer battled to give ASU an extended outing after a two-out error led to four unearned runs in the frame, coming back out to give the Devils 4.1 innings in the start. Cole Carlon earned his second save with his 1.2 innings of relief to finish the game – including inducing a massive inning-ending double play in the seventh to protect the Sun Devil lead.
TURNING POINT
After halving OSU’s 7-5 lead with a matchstick in the bottom of the fifth, the Buckeyes mounted a two-out rally to cancel it out with an RBI double and then putting runners on the corners with a 8-6 lead in the top of the sixth. Adam Behrens was able to keep the lead there with an inning-ending flyout to strand the pair and keep ASU within striking distance.
BIG MOMENT
Strike the Sun Devils did. ASU loaded the bases with one out – including a fantastic AB by Isaiah Jackson to battle back from an 0-2 count to draw an HBP to pack the bases ahead of Brandon Compton. The redshirt freshman responded by taking the 1-1 offering deep over the center field wall for his first career grand slam and a 10-8 ASU lead.
FINAL STRAW
With the drop-dead time approaching, ASU went to Cole Carlon with runners on first and second in the seventh and one out and the freshmen delivered a huge 4-6-3 double play to escape the jam. The Buckeyes would threaten in the eighth and final frame, putting runners on the corners with two outs and the go-ahead run at the plate but the frosh was undeterred, forcing an game-ending flyout to left for his second save of the year.
INNING BY INNING
First Inning
Starting the first inning off with Tyler Meyer allowing one hit. The first out was made by Meyer connecting to Tobis off of a bunt. The next Ohio State batter was hit by a pitch, putting a runner at first and third. Jacob Tobis made the second out with a play at home, with Ryan Campos stopping the Ohio State runner at the plate. The last out was made by Kien Vu catching a pop fly in right field.
Nu’u Contrades was able to get it started for the Sun Devils with a base hit. With one out Ryan Campos grounded one down the right foul line to get a double, bringing in Contrades. With Campos now on second, Tobis got a double off the left center wall and brought in Campos, 2-0. Tobis on second and Kevin Karstetter pops out for second out. Isaiah Jacksonwith a single to bring in Tobis. Compton strikes out, the Sun Devils taking the lead 3-0.
Second Inning
After two strikeouts, Meyer allowed two singles, giving Ohio State runners on first and third base. A base hit double to shortstop resulted in an OSU score and runners on second and third. Another single resulted in a tie game, 3-3. The next batter got hit and Meyer walked two more players, resulting in bases loaded and an OSU score. Working themselves out of a jam with a grounder to second, ASU got the final out.
First up at bat, Steven Ondina gets a single and then advances to second with a balk. Kien Vu also singled, advancing to second on the throw. Ohio State completed a pitch change which resulted in a walk and two strikeouts before Tobias singled out to third, bringing home Ondina and Vu. With first and second runners on base, Karstetter hit a fly ball to center for the third out, ending the inning.
Third Inning
Three quick and easy outs for the Sun Devils with Williams making the first out with a catch in left field. Tobis made a sliding catch between first and second to stop the ball, connecting with Meyer who was covering first base for the second out. Williams made the third out with another catch in left field.
Isaiah Jackson was walked on a 3-1 count, Compton struck out with Jackson on first. Ondina advanced Jackson to second with a grounder to the third baseman, Jackson was safe at second, Ondina was out at first on a close play. With two outs Vu was unable to bring Jackson in, leaving the score 5-4.
Fourth Inning
OSU hit a grounder to Tobias but Meyer quickly covered first, catching the ball for the out. Meyer walked the next OSU batter. The Sun Devils made a double play on a grounder to shortstop and first, which marked three outs.
Harris Williams gets on first with a single to start the bottom. Next up, Nu’u gets a hit but is quickly out after OSU makes a double play from second to first. Campos advances to first before Tobias is walked after getting hit. Karstetter is also walked, resulting in bases loaded. Jackson hit a pop fly to center, ending the inning with the third out.
Fifth Inning
A runner on first from a walk, Isaiah Jackson made the first out in center field catching a fly ball. The Sun Devils made a pitching change bringing in freshman Adam Behrens with a runner on first. Ohio State was able to hit a pop fly between shortstop and left field, the fly ball drops and there are now runners on second and first. Jackson catches the second out in center field and makes a throw to third to try and get the runner out but is safe. Two outs and two runners on, Ohio State pulled a homer over the left field wall bringing in all three runners, 7-5. Brehrens ended Ohio State’s celebration by striking out the batter for the third out.
Compton grounded out for the first out and Ondina was up next to hit, Ondina grounded one to the shortstop and was safe at first with a catching error made by Ohio State’s first baseman. Vu made a chopping hit to advance Ondina to second. With two outs and Ondina on second, Williams grounded one between second and shortstop to bring in Ondina giving the Sun Devils one run, 8-6. Contrades was up to bat but was unable to bring in Williams.
Sixth Inning
Adam Behrens strikes out the first two Ohio State runners to kick off the sixth. After a ground rule double, OSU sat on second. Hitting a double down the left field line, OSU scored, 8-6. A single from Behrens advanced OSU to first and third. The last out came from a fly to right field.
Campos hit a grounder to shortstop, resulting in the first out. Tobias then hit a double off the wall after an OSU miscommunication between the left fielder and center fielder. Following up the double, Karstetter is walked after getting hit. Another walk for the Sun Devils resulted in bases loaded with Compton on deck. With only one out, Brandon Compton hit a grand slam, pulling the Devils back in the lead, 10-8. After the four RBI, OSU changed pitchers and proceeded to strikeout Ondina. Kien Vu hit a single along the right field line while Williams got walked after getting hit. Nu’u Contrades is also walked, resulting in the bases loaded for a second time in the inning. Another pitch change for the Buckeyes gave the Sun Devils their last out, ending the inning.
Seventh Inning
Ohio State hits a grounder to right field and is safe at first. Strikes out Ohio State batter. 1 out 1 runner on first. 1 out 2 runners on. Switch pitchers in comes Freshman Cole Carlon. Double play, no runs scored. Karstetter fielded the grounder, connected with Ondina for the out at second, Ondina threw to Tobis for the third out.
Tobias leading off, grounds out to first. Karstetter with the grounder to third for a base hit. Jackson up with Karstetter on first, advances Karstetter with a line drive to right field. 1 out 2 runners on, hits the pitch back to the pitcher, the pitcher bobbles the ball and Compton is safe at first. Ondina grounds to ss who turns a double play.
Eighth Inning
A pop fly out to shortstop results in the first OSU out of the eighth. Another ball flies out to center field, earning the second out. Cole Carlon walked his first player of the game after the two fly’s. A single from OSU advances runners to third and first, but the last out comes from another fly out to left field.
Head Coach Willie Bloomquist
Opening Statement
“I’ll start with Ohio State, they are a much better team than I was anticipating coming in. I knew they were gonna be good, but they had better arms than I thought, they had better players than I was expecting and they were scrappy. They really challenged us up and down the lineup. They didn’t give in on tough pitches, they had a good idea of what they were doing. We got challenged, I knew we were going to, but to that extent I didn’t. It was a dogfight every game against them. They’ll win a lot of games, I think this year. From our standpoint, we battled. We haven’t played our best baseball, we haven’t pitched it as well as we can yet and we’re gonna have to get better there. I think at the end of the day, after jumping out to a nice three run lead and then giving it up immediately, bouncing back, then giving it up again, these are all character building wins. If we can come out on top and we’re being battle tested for sure. So I think we can clean some things up as we move forward. We played a lot of baseball in the last 10 days, eight games in 10 days, we’ve been challenged pretty good. We got a chance to lick our wounds a little bit and then we got, of course, 3 tough teams down in Texas with four games down there. We are being battle tested and we’re figuring out that, every little thing matters, every detail of the game matters. We don’t make a play at shortstop and in the second inning and give up the four spot and we give up the lead so we can’t give up extra outs and we can’t give up free bases. Those are the things that are costing us and we gotta be better on 0-2, 1-2, as well. There’s a lot of positives, these guys aren’t giving in, they’re bouncing back from the adversity that we’re facing and they keep coming at them. From that standpoint, I am very proud of these guys that they keep battling.”
ON DECK
Sun Devil Baseball will be on the road to take on three Texas teams in Arlington, Texas: Texas A&M, TCU and Texas-Arlington. ASU will face Texas A&M for their first game of the Globe Life Tournament on March 1st at 5 p.m. AZT followed by facing TCU March 2nd at 5 p.m. AZT. ASU will play Texas A&M again for their third game, March 3rd at 10 a.m. AZT. The final game in Texas for the Sun Devils will be at Texas-Arlington March 5th at 12 p.m. AZT in a road midweek tilt before returning home to start Pac-12 action.
Press Release courtesy of Sun Devil Athletics – Jeremy Hawkes
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