(Salt Lake City, UT) Sun Devil Baseball kept the pedal to the metal in Sunday’s series finale against Utah, scoring 12 runs over the final two frames for an 18-6 victory and road series sweep over the Utes in Salt Lake City.
The Sun Devils (19-9, 7-2 Big 12) became the first Big 12 school to sweep a road conference series this season, improving to 12-3 in their last 15 true road games dating back to last year with three conference road sweeps in four chances in the process.
ASU recorded 23 hits over the Utes (13-13, 2-7 Big 12), who had not been swept at home since its final home series of the 2022 season against No. 8 Stanford.
All nine Sun Devil starters recorded multiple hits, paced by Jacob Tobias’ four-hit, four-RBI day. Matt King added another three-hit day and finished the series batting .643 on 9-of-14 hitting with three doubles and five RBIs, two stolen bases and a .688 OBP. Isaiah Jackson finished a homer short of the cycle with three RBIs and Nu’u Contrades added three RBIs as well.
Easton Barrett earned the win as he and Will Koger combined for 3.1 scoreless innings of middle relief while the game was still in the balance, allowing just one hit between them.
The Sun Devils return home for five games starting Tuesday evening against long-time West Coast rival Cal State Fullerton before hosting rival Arizona for a three-game Big 12 series with huge conference standing implications.
TURNING POINT
After Utah rallied from down 5-2 to make it 5-4 with two outs in the fourth inning, the Sun Devils turned to the bullpen to calm the waters. Freshman Easton Barrett stranded the tying run in scoring position to close out the fourth, getting Utah’s .430 batting shortstop Core Jackson to foul out to left. Barrett and Will Kogerwould combine to give the Sun Devils 3.1 scoreless innings of relief, setting the table for ASU to blow the game open late.
BIG MOMENT
Holding on to a slim 6-4 advantage in the eighth, ASU quickly found itself with two outs and an 0-2 count to leadoff hitter Kyle Walker. The veteran knocked his third hit of the day – the first of eight-straight two-out singles – with a Brandon Compton walk mixed in – as the Sun Devils ran up seven runs in the frame to take a 13-4 advantage. Every Sun Devil in the lineup (except Compton, who walked) recorded a two-out single in the frame.
FINAL STRAW
ASU wasn’t content with the seven in the eighth, piling on in the ninth with five more runs. Nu’u Contradesnotched an RBI double and Isaiah Jackson had a two-RBI triple and Brandon Compton and Jax Ryan had sac flies in the frame as the Sun Devils effectively put the game away with a 19-6 advantage.
PLAYER OF THE GAME
Jacob Tobias recorded his first four-hit game of the season, picking up four RBIs in the process – all coming with two outs. Tobias now has 14 two-out RBIs on the season – four more than any other player on the team. His 30 RBIs are also the team lead and he has 52 RBIs in his last 34 games dating back to last season.
INNING BY INNING
First Inning
Kyle Walker wasted no time extending his hitting streak to 16 games – lacing the first pitch down the left field line for a double, moving to third on a Hairston groundout and scoring on Contrades’ sac fly. Alba faced trouble in the bottom of the first with a jam shot double after a leadoff walk and a second walk loading the bases with just one out. Alba limited the damage to one run with a fielder’s choice and strikeout.
Second Inning
King drew a one-out walk but got caught in a pickle and thrown out at second, which was unfortunate as Jackson doubled right after that. A groundout ended the inning for the Devils. Utah notched its first lead of the weekend after a one-out double and two-out RBI single to make it 2-1.
Third Inning
Walker notched his second double of the game, a hustle double off the glove of the Ute shortstop and Hairston was hit by a pitch to put two on with one out. Jacob Tobias plated both with his team leading 11th and 12th two-out RBIs of the season with a gap-shot double to opposite left field. Compton followed with a first pitch RBI single to give ASU a 4-2 lead. Landon Hairston made a nice diving play in right to turn a one-out double into a single and it proved to be a big play as Alba got the Utes to roll over into a inning-ending double play a couple pitches later.
Fourth Inning
Ryan notched a one-out single and Walker walked to put two on with two outs and Hairston continued the two-out action with an RBI single to chase the Utah pitcher after making it 5-2. Utah notched back-to-back one-out singles to place runners on the corners and plated a run on a sac bunt. A two-out, two-strike RBI single would bring Utah back within 5-4 and bring Easton Barrett into the game for ASU, who quickly got Utah’s standout shortstop Core Jackson to foul out to left to keep ASU on top.
Fifth Inning
Compton notched another Sun Devil double thanks to a bad hop off the infield dirt with one out but he would be stranded in scoring position. Barrett worked around a two-out walk with a strikeout to keep the Sun Devils on top by a run.
Sixth Inning
Briggs laced a one-out single through the right side but that was the extent of the ASU action. Barrett got a lineout to open the inning and end his day, bringing Koger in the game. Koger got two harmless flyouts to center, keeping things at 5-4 and giving ASU its first true 1-2-3 inning of the game.
Seventh Inning
Tobias reached on an infield single and took second on wild pitch and ASU notched another two-out RBI on King’s single through the shift on the right side to make it 6-4. Utah notched a leadoff single that was immediately wiped off the board as Briggs hosed him trying to steal second. A flyout and groundout led to Koger facing the minimum in the frame.
Eighth Inning
The Sun Devils went on an insane two-out rally, recording EIGHT-straight two-out singles – with a walk mixed in for good measure – to take a commanding 13-4 lead. Contrades, Tobias, King, Jackson, Ryan and Briggs all recorded RBIs on their singles and the only Sun Devil that DIDN’T record a two-out single in the frame was Brandon Compton – who walked. Utah loaded the bases with no outs and plated a run on an infield single as five-straight Ute’s reached base but Josh Butler was able to limit the damage in the frame to just two runs to keep ASU on top 13-6.
Ninth Inning
Hairston led off the ninth with a walknand Contrades doubled to right center to make it 14-6. A single from Tobias and sac fly from Compton plated another. King singled again and Jackson picked up a two-RBI triple with Ryan bringing him home with a sac fly to make it a five-run frame and an 18-6 game. ASU stranded a runner at second to close the game out on defense.
Press Release courtesy of Sun Devil Athletics – Jeremy Hawkes
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