(Los Angeles, CA) Sun Devil Baseball put together one of its most complete games of the season in all facets in routing UCLA, 8-2, on Saturday afternoon at Jackie Robinson Stadium in Los Angeles to seal the series victory.
Every Sun Devil starter had a hit in the contest, recording 15 total while the pitching staff held UCLA to just two runs on four hits as ASU (19-21, 9-11 Pac-12) played flawless defense behind them with no errors and two double plays.
Kien Vu paced the offense with his three-hit day, recording two RBIs. Nick McLain, Harris Williams, Mario Demera and Steven Ondina all added two hits and Jacob Tobias had a two-run homer.
Connor Markl soldiered through 5.1 innings of action – his sixth consecutive game to reach the 5.0 inning mark – and allowed just one run on two hits. Sean Fitzpatrick and Jonah Giblinclosed things out on the back end with the latter tossing 2.0 scoreless innings.
TURNING POINT
Connor Markl has been Mr. Reliable on Saturday’s this season and continued that trend with just sixth consecutive game tossing over 5.0 innings – the longest stretch of his career and longest since Kyle Luckham had seven to close out the 2022 season for ASU. While the control wasn’t there with his five walks and two HBPs, Markl didn’t allow the Bruins to get the bats going and held UCLA to just one run on two hits over 5.1 innings. His efforts allowed the Sun Devils to jump to a big lead early that it wouldn’t relinquish.
BIG MOMENT
For the second-straight day, ASU posted a big second inning and did all their work with two outs. Mario Demera and Steven Ondina turned the lineup around with a pair of two-out singles and Ryan Campos loaded the bases with a walk. Kien Vu continued his incredible stretch with a hard single to right field to plate two runs and give ASU an early 3-0 lead. The bottom of the ASU order got it done again in the fourth inning as Demera and Ondina recorded RBI singles to make it 5-0 and provide the cushion ASU would need for the remainder of the tilt.
FINAL STRAW
With ASU still holding on to a 6-1 lead in the eighth inning, Jacob Tobias stepped up to the dish with two outs as the only Sun Devil to not record a hit on the day. He swiftly put an end to that notation, lifting a mile high ball down the right field line that stayed just fair as he matched the team lead with eight homers. The two-run shots gave the Sun Devils an 8-1 lead and effectively drove the nail in the coffin. UCLA tried to get something going late with a leadoff homer and walk in the bottom half of the frame but Jonah Giblin entered the game and swiftly shut that down as he closed out the game with 2.0 scoreless innings of work.
INNING BY INNING
First Inning
Kien Vu legged out a one-out infield single and McLain doubled off the wall in left center to put a pair of runners in scoring position. Vu showed off the speed and head’s up baserunning as he perfectly timed a throw down on a dropped third strike against Tobias to easily score and give the Sun Devils a 1-0 lead. Markl worked around a two-out, two-strike HBP with no damage done to keep ASU on top.
Second Inning
Ethan Mendoza and Brandon Compton each put good swings on some balls but no damage came from it with two quick outs. But the Sun Devils had some deja vu from yesterday, starting a huge two-out rally behind a golf swing single from Demera and infield single from Ondina. Campos drew a walk to load the bases and Vu did the rest with a two-RBI single to make it 3-0. An error against McLain loaded the bases again and Tobias hit one on the screws to the warning track in right that was caught at the warning stretch to end the two-out rally. UCLA got a leadoff single that was instantly wiped off the board with a 5-6-3 double play – the seventh induced by Markl this season – and a flyout led to the minimum in the frame.
Third Inning
ASU continued to keep the pressure on at the bottom of the order, keyed by three straight singles from Compton, Demera and Ondina – the latter two bringing runs across. Campos lined into a tough luck out at short on a diving stab and ASU was unable to add anymore runs but took a 5-0 lead. Markl faced some trouble after walking the leadoff batter, who had just a .100 average this season, and was made to pay with a RBI double down the left field line. That runner moved to third on a passed ball but Markl stranded him there with back-to-back strikeouts, followed by a walk but getting a flyout to get out the jam and limit the damage to ASU still leading 5-1.
Fourth Inning
ASU wasted no time getting the run back with a leadoff double from McLain – his second of the game – and he took third on a flyout to center and scored on a Williams single. Mendoza added another one-out single but ASU was unable to add to the lead, keeping the score at 6-1. Markl followed with his first true 1-2-3 inning of the game.
Fifth Inning
Vu reached on a two-out check swing infield single and McLain put another nice swing on one, giving a ball a ride to the warning track in center for a loud flyout and the first inning of the game without an ASU run. Markl loaded the bases without giving up a hit with an HBP and a pair of two-out walks but got out of the jam with a fielder’s choice to third to keep it 6-1.
Sixth Inning
Mendoza reached on a two-out error past the third baseman but got a little greedy trying to take second, popping off the bag while sliding into second and getting tagged out in the process. Markl walked the first batter he faced but got an out on a nice diving catch from Vu in center and that capped his day. Fitzpatrick entered and walked the first batter he faced to put two on with on out but got back-to-back strikeouts to strand them.
Seventh Inning
ASU went down in order for its first true 1-2-3 inning of the game. Fitzpatrick followed suit with a 1-2-3 inning of his own, capped by a nice tracking job from Williams in left as he ran down a ball into the power alley for the final out.
Eighth Inning
Campos reached on a leadoff drag bunt but two quick outs put ASU in danger of squandering it before Tobias, the lone player who hadn’t reached base on the the day, launch mile high fly ball down the right field line that stayed just fair for a two-run shot to make it 8-1. UCLA led off the bottom of the frame with a solo homer and a walk to bring Giblin into the game. The veteran quickly calmed the waters with a strikeout and a double play that held up after review to keep the score at 8-2.
Ninth Inning
The bottom of the Sun Devil lineup went down in order. Giblin easily worked around a two-out single by issuing a game-inning fielder’s choice to seal the series for the Sun Devils.
ON DECK
ASU will look to sweep the final Pac-12 series against UCLA ever on Sunday with first pitch at 1 p.m. AZT. The game will be available via the UCLA Live Stream 2.
Press Release courtesy of Sun Devil Athletics – Jeremy Hawkes
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