Landon Hairston hit two home runs as the Sun Devils beat San Diego State
(Phoenix, AZ) No. 25 Sun Devil Baseball bounced back after a tough end to its weekend, taking care of business against San Diego State with a 6-2 victory on Monday at Phoenix Municipal Stadium.
Arizona State (21-8) – which wrapped up its ninth game in the last 11 days – fell behind early, but were able to battle back as Landon Hairston hit two home runs and the pitching posted five scoreless innings to round out the game.
Hairston, the reigning Golden Spikes National Player of the Week, Perfect Game Co-Player of the Week, and Big 12 Player of the Week kept his hot streak up, launching two home runs for his second multi-home run game in the past four days, and his third of the season.
His first, a two-run shot in the fifth inning, gave ASU a lead, and his second, a solo home run in the seventh, added an insurance run.
Starting pitcher Easton Barrett battled early, giving up two solo home runs to the same player, but was able to retire every other hitter he faced over his four innings of work. Colin Linderfollowed with four scoreless innings, and Finn Edwards slammed the door in the ninth with the tying run on deck.
Inning by inning
First inning
Easton Barrett got things started on the mound for the Sun Devils, retiring the first two batters before giving up a solo home run to left field. He was able to get a groundout for the third out, with San Diego State leading 1-0.
Arizona State couldn’t get anything going in the first, going down in order.
Second inning
Barrett went back out onto the mound, tossing a 1-2-3 inning complete with a groundout, flyout, and popout.
Dean Toigo drew a walk to lead off the inning, moving over to second on PJ Moutzouridis’ one-out single. Brody Briggs drove both in with a two-out double down the right field line to give Arizona State a 2-1 lead.
Third inning
Another three-up, three-down inning for Barrett kept it a one-run ballgame.
After Landon Hairston grounded out to start the frame, Nu’u Contrades singled and Austen Roellig walked, but a double play ended the inning.
Fourth inning
A quick groundout opened the inning, but another solo home run tied the game at two. A walk then gave the Aztecs a two-out baserunner, before the Sun Devils caught the runner stealing to bring the inning to a close.
Moutzouridis reached first on a hit by pitch before advancing to second on a balk and moving over to third on a groundout. However, he was left on third as Brody Briggs flew out for the third out.
Fifth inning
Colin Linder was the first guy out of the bullpen for Arizona State, retiring the side.
Beckett Zavorek led off with a single before Landon Hairston crushed a home run to right field, his fifth in the last four days, to make it a 4-2 Sun Devil lead. Austen Roellig doubled to right center, but was then called out on interference as Dean Toigo’s single hit him in the leg. Dominic Smaldino then flew out to end the frame.
Sixth inning
Linder returned to the mound, dealing two swinging strikeouts and a flyout.
The Sun Devils went down in order in the sixth.
Seventh inning
Linder worked another 1-2-3 inning with a strikeout and two groundouts.
With one out, Hairston hit his second home run of the game, a no-doubt shot to right field to make it a 5-2 ballgame. Garrett Michel, who pinch hit for Contrades in the fifth, doubled on a pop up that dropped between the catcher and first baseman, and Dean Toigo singled him in to extend the lead to 6-2. A wild pitch moved Toigo to second, where he was left after Smaldino lined out to first base.
Eighth inning
After getting two quick outs, Linder surrendered a double to right center to give the Aztecs their first baserunner since the fourth inning. A walk put another runner on, prompting a mound visit. Linder was able to shut down the SDSU threat with his second strikeout of the frame.
Arizona State couldn’t string any at-bats together in the eighth, going down in order.
Ninth inning
Finn Edwards was called in from the bullpen, giving up a leadoff single. After a strikeout, a double put two SDSU runners into scoring position. After a visit to the mound, Edwards dealt a strikeout and a pop-out to short to close out the game.
Quotables
Head Coach Willie Bloomquist
Opening Statement
“We threw the ball really well tonight. Easton Barrett threw it great. Colin Linder threw it outstandingly. And Finn Edwards finished the job in the ninth. Offensively, we can continue to talk about the same guy, if you guys want. He’s (Landon Hairston) kind of on another planet right now and doing what he’s quite frankly, I’ve never really seen this, somebody like locked in this well, or the way he is. I just had never seen it. It’s been pretty impressive to watch Landon do what he’s doing. As far as the rest of the offense, for the most part, I think guys are worn down a little bit. At the end of the day, we did enough to get a win. We played stellar defense. The walks were down. Only walked two guys, which was great. But all in all, a complete game for the most part. Again, offensively, we were okay, but we did enough on the mound and defensively to win this one.”
On Landon Hairston being among the best players in the country
“I haven’t seen anybody better. There are some great players out there. I definitely have not seen a better hitter than him. He’s just in one of those zones that you can’t teach. You can’t. There’s nothing you can do to get somebody to get like that. It’s just a natural ability, and it just happens. And when you’re in a zone, you’re in a zone. But, in my five years here, I haven’t seen a player in college baseball that is hit the way he’s hitting right now.”
On the combined pitching efforts of Barrett and Linder
“It was big that Easton (Barrett) and (Colin) Linder gave us a little bit of length there and chewed up them (SDSU’s hitters), but for the majority of the game, they were very efficient. So they’ll be available this weekend as well, which will be big, because we’re going to need everybody, all hands on deck. Obviously a big series this weekend for everybody. So to do what they did and just come and pound the strike zone and throw a ton of strikes was outstanding. I think that’s probably the best that Linder has thrown all year, just as far as smoothness and working ahead and throwing a ton of strikes, pitching with this fastball, he was really good today, and Easton was very good as well.”
On Dean Toigo’s hot streak at the plate
“He’s sticking with his approach and taking hits, and he’s actually getting a lot of hits the other way. For him, early in the year, the other way was anything from the second baseman, which was kind of him going opposite field, but now he’s actually spraying the ball more to left field, and the teams that were shifting on him are getting burned a little bit. And he’s actually hitting some balls the opposite direction, and taking his base hits and coming up with big RBIs as well. So we’re going to need him to keep doing that.”
Up next
The Sun Devils head down to Tucson for a weekend series against Arizona. Thursday, Friday, and Saturday’s games all have first pitch scheduled for 6:05 p.m. MST. Thursday and Friday’s games will be streamed live via ESPN+, with Saturday’s series finale on ESPN2. The games will be available over the local airwaves on KDUS 1060 AM with Tim Healey and Max Rossiter on the call.
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