Harris Williams came a triple short of the cycle on his 3-for-4 outing while Ryan Camposadded a pair of homers. Brandon Compton and Steven Ondina also added multi-hit efforts.
Ryan Schiefer was electric for the second time this weekend, inheriting a bases-loaded jam with no outs in the sixth and limiting the damage to just two runs to keep ASU in striking distance. He went on to throw 3.1 innings, allowing no hits, no earned runs, three walks, and striking out four batters over 50 pitches.
ASU would get the go-ahead runs on the base path in the eighth inning, down 7-5, but Campos came just about 10 feet shy of his third homer of the day on what would have been a go-ahead grand slam and Oregon would hold on in the ninth.
TURNING POINT
The Sun Devils got a nice start to the game with a pair of matchsticks in the second and third to jump to an early 2-0 lead. Tyler Meyer had cruised through the Oregon lineup the first time around and quickly got two outs in the top of the fourth. But a curve ball that didn’t curve struck the Duck batter with two outs and a hit and a walk loaded the bases. Jacob Walsh went down and got a pitch that was low and away, pushing it into opposite right field and the wind did the rest, as what looked to be an inning-ending flyout turned into the go-ahead grand slam and Oregon wouldn’t relinquish the lead from there.
BIG MOMENT
Trailing 5-2, two solo home runs in the fifth inning from Harris Williams and Ryan Camposbrought the Sun Devils within one. Short-lived, the Ducks responded in the top of the sixth with two quick singles. The first was brought around the bases by two walks. A pitching change brought Ryan Schiefer to the mound, who would throw one walk before a line out to first and a fielder’s choice to throw the runner out at home would set up for Schiefer’s first strikeout. Oregon had already added breathing room, extending their lead 6-3.
FINAL STRAW
The Sun Devils put together a couple scrappy at-bats in the bottom of the eighth to load the bases with two outs and bring Ryan Campos to the plate. Having already homered twice, Campos quickly fell into an 0-2 hole before working the count full and staying alive with a couple foul balls. The junior put a good swing on that full count offering that off the bat appeared to be his third homer of the day and a go-ahead grand slam but the ball got trapped with the wind blowing in from right field, caught at the warning track to strand the bases full. A solo home run in the top of the ninth provided an extra insurance run for Oregon and sucked the momentum from the Sun Devils, trailing 8-5, as the team couldn’t muster a hit in the final frame.
INNING BY INNING
First Inning
After the first batter reached on an HBP, Ryan Campos immediately wiped it off the board catching the runner stealing second. Meyer got a strikeout and groundout to end the frame. ASU also got a leadoff runner with a bloop single from Williams, but interference was called on the ensuing ground ball and a double play wiped both runners off the board. A flyout ended the frame to keep things scoreless.
Second Inning
Meyer posted a 1-2-3 frame with a pair of punchouts, freezing the third batter on what the opponent thought was ball four. Ethan Mendoza reached on a one-out walk and scored from their on Brandon Compton’s team-leading sixth double of the season off the center field wall to give ASU a 1-0 lead. Isaiah Johnson hit one on the screws that died in the wind in left and Demera grounded out to pitcher to strand Compton at second.
Third Inning
Meyer sat the Ducks down in order for the second straight frame to face the minimum the first time through the order, notable as he had just one 1-2-3 inning in his first three starts of the year. Steven Ondina and Harris Williams led off the bottom half of the frame with back-to-back doubles to make it a 2-0 lead for the Devils. ASU couldn’t take advantage, however, as the next three batters went down in order – including a fielder’s choice on a play at the plate on a infield chopper that led to an out.
Fourth Inning
Meyer faced his first jam of the day with a two-out HBP followed by a double down the left field line to put a pair in scoring position and a walk loaded the bases and they were unloaded on a first pitch wind-aided grand slam to the next batter to give Oregon a 4-2 lead. ASU would put two on with a single from Compton and a walk from Jackson, both moving into scoring position on a Demera groundout to bring about a Duck pitching change. A groundout would end the Sun Devil threat.
Fifth Inning
The Sun Devils almost worked out of another jam in the fifth after a leadoff double would get wiped away trying to take home on a grounder with one out. That fielder’s choice led to a two-out runner at second, however, and a single poked through the right side extended Oregon’s lead to 5-2. The Devils responded with back-to-back jacks from Williams and Campos to lead off the fifth to get back within a run before stranding a no-out walk with two flyouts and a ground out.
Sixth Inning
Oregon loaded the bases quickly with two singles and two walks to score one. With no outs, Ryan Schiefer came in to pitch and walked one more before Jacob Tobias caught a line drive at first. The next batter reached on a fielder’s choice that recorded the runner at third base out, and Schiefer earned his first strikeout to close the frame down 7-4. Isaiah Jackson gave brief hope with a single to right field, but two groundouts with a double-play ended those quickly.
Seventh Inning
A foul out to first base preceded a walk that advanced to second on a wild pitch. After Schiefer’s second strikeout, ASU intentionally walked the next batter and the runner on second was caught between the bases, ultimately being tagged out at third. Ryan Camposstepped into a high fastball to drill one over the right center field wall for his second home run of the game. McLain was walked for the second time, and stole second. Oregon’s pitching led to a strikeout that ended the inning 7-5.
Eighth Inning
ASU got back to the bats in a hurry, with a pop up, strikeout, and groundout. Isaiah Jacksongot on base via walk. With two outs, he advanced to third off a single from Steven Ondina. Another walk let Harris Williams fill the bases. On a full count, Ryan Campos got Sun Devil fans out of their seats for a moment as he sent one to deep right field. Without favorable winds, Oregon caught the fly and left three Sun Devils stranded.
Ninth Inning
Schiefer threw his fourth strikeout before a pitching change. After a home run and fly out to center field, another pitching change brought Sean Fitzpatrick to the mound. He struck out the last batter to set up ASU’s last at bats. With one out, Jacob Tobias was walked. A high pop up to second base and a strikeout would leave him there.
ON DECK
ASU stays in town to host New Mexico at Phoenix Municipal Stadium on Tuesday night at 6:30 p.m. AZT before traveling down south for a three-game series against Arizona from Mar. 15-17. Tuesday’s game will be available via ASU Live Stream-2.
Press Release courtesy of Sun Devil Athletics – Jeremy Hawkes
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