A pitcher’s duel through five innings with the score at 3-1 and seven total hits at the midway point of the game gave way to an offensive avalanche down the stretch for both teams. The final four frames featured 19 combined runs and 15 hits.
The unlikely hero of the day came out of the nine-hole for the Sun Devils as redshirt freshman catcher Brody Briggs recorded his first two collegiate homers – a grand slam and a three-run shot – for seven huge RBIs and ASU needed everyone of them to stave off a massive TCU rally in the ninth inning.
Matt King had a three-hit day for the Sun Devils with an RBI while Briggs, Kyle Walker, Nu’u Contrades and Jacob Tobias all added two hits of their own.
The Sun Devils pitchers did enough down the stretch to hold of TCU, with Wyatt Halvorson coming in to record a massive two-out save after the Horned Frogs cut a 12-5 deficit to 12-10 in the ninth inning with the tying run at the plate. Lucas Kelly had a scoreless inning of relief in what was a 7-5 lead in the eighth inning. Seven Sun Devil pitchers combined for 14 strikeouts in the contest.
The Sun Devils return home to Phoenix Municipal Stadium for four games this week, starting with a non-conference midweek against longtime rival USC on Tuesday and a three-game Big 12 series against Kansas beginning Friday.
TURNING POINT
After TCU took a 3-1 lead through five innings, the Sun Devil bats came to life in the sixth inning. The team small-balled to take its first lead, scoring on a full-count walk, a wild pitch and a sac fly to make it 4-3. Brody Briggs got his first big knock of the day, a no-doubt big fly to right center for his first career homer – a three-run shot that made it 7-3.
BIG MOMENT
After TCU cut it to 7-5 in the bottom of the sixth, ASU was able to take things to the ninth inning with that two-run lead. Needing some insurance, the Sun Devils got a huge boost as Contrades scored on a two-out, bases loaded wild pitch to make it 8-5. Landon Hairston drew a walk to reload the bases and Briggs did his part yet again, pulling one down the right field foul line that squeaked past a leaping right fielders glove, off the foul pole and over the fence for a massive grand slam to make it 12-5.
FINAL STRAW
ASU would need every one of those five ninth inning runs as TCU’s offense rallied in frenetic fashion, barreling balls all over the park for two triples, two doubles, several singles to get back with 12-10 with one out, a runner on third and the tying run at the plate. ASU went to Wyatt Halvorson out of the pen and “Halvy” did exactly what the Sun Devils needed, issuing a pair of soft groundouts – the first allowing TCU to get within a run but ending the game with the save and ASU’s first Big 12 series victory.
PLAYER OF THE GAME
Brody Briggs picked one heck of a game to post the best effort of his young career. The redshirt freshman homered twice, recording seven RBIs between those. ASU needed all seven of those runs in the 12-11 decision. Briggs was also on the receiving end of 14 strikeouts for the Sun Devil pitching staff behind the dish.
INNING BY INNING
First Inning
The Sun Devils went down in order in the first with a pair of strikeouts following by a Contrades line drive right to the TCU center fielder. Barrett struck out the side around a two-out HBP.
Second Inning
Tobias reached on a leadoff single but a pair of hard outs – including a warning track ball by King – and a strikeout ended any threat. Barrett issued another pair of free passes on a HBP and walk with one out but stranded both runners with a pair of flyouts.
Third Inning
ASU went down in order with flyouts to each outfielder. The free bases finally bit Barrett as a leadoff walk, stolen base and balk would allow TCU to score the first run on a sac fly. Giblin would enter to spell Barrett and worked himself out of a two-out jam with a walk and TCU’s first hit of the game, stranding the runners to keep it a one-run game.
Fourth Inning
Contrades reached on a one-out single and Tobias walked to get the Sun Devils going. King laced one through the left side to immediately even the game back up at 1-1 but ASU was unable to bring any other across.Giblin worked a 1-2-3 frame, highlighted by Isaiah Jackson’s sprint to the warning track in deep right center to rob extra bases on the leadoff batter.
Fifth Inning
Hairston gave one a ride to the opposite left field warning track but the play was made at the wall. Walker reached on a two-out infield single that rolled into the third base bag but ASU was unable to mount the two-out rally. TCU did, however, mount a two-out rally with a two-out single followed by a two right shot to right center to make it 3-1.
Sixth Inning
Contrades led off with a single and Tobias walked again and King loaded the bases with another single. Jackson drew a full count walk to bring in a run and send a call to the TCU pen. Tobias scored off a wild pitch from the newcomer and then Cromwick walked to reload the bases with no outs. Hairston put ASU on top for the first time with a sac fly. Brody Briggs picked the moment for the big hit of the frame, going big fly for the first time in his collegiate career – a three-run shot to make it 7-3. Carlon came on in relief, issuing two walks and they both bit him with a two-out double to let TCU get back within 7-5. An HBP would put the tying run on the base path but Carlon was able to keep the Sun Devils on top with a strikeout.
Seventh Inning
King recorded his third hit of the day, this one coming with two outs and took second on a failed pickoff and to third on a wild pitch but would end up stranded there. Carlon came back out and instantly fell behind the TCU cleanup hitter, 3-0 but battled back and got a ground out before striking out the next two batters for a clean frame.
Eighth Inning
Hairston reached on a one-out single and Walker added a two-out single to put two runners on but a strikeout out would end that threat. Lucas Kelly entered and issues a leadoff walk but was able to work through the side without any damage done to keep it a two-run game.
Ninth Inning
Contrades and Tobias reached on a leadoff singles and moved into scoring position on King fielder’s choice. Jackson was intentionally walked and Cromwick struck out but Contrades would score on a wild pitch to add some insurance. Haiston drew a walk and Brody Briggs played here yet again, pulling one down the right field line off the foul pole and just over the walk for a massive grand slam to make it 12-5. ASU needed all five of those runs as the Horned Frogs were not going quietly into the afternoon. TCU found barrel after barrel in the ninth to rip off nine runs with the tying run at the plate with just one out in a 12-10 game. Wyatt Halvorson was the savior, coming in and getting two harmless ground outs to seal the game and the series for the Sun Devils in a 12-11 final.
Press Release courtesy of Sun Devil Athletics – Jeremy Hawkes
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