Jacob Tobias was essentially the lone bright spot on the day for the Sun Devil (6-2) bats, going 4-for-4 with all four of ASU’s RBIs and a home run.
The Sun Devils allowed four unearned runs in the second inning and a grand slam in the fourth in what was otherwise a solid performance from a bullpen outing of pitchers.
The bullpen allowed just one hit in 4.2 innings of work after the grand slam in the fourth. Jonah Giblin, Sean Fitzpatrick and Eli Buxton combined for 4.0 innings of scoreless work with six strikeouts, no walks and one hit.
TURNING POINT
Easton Barrett made his first career start and – all things considered – pitched quite well, but things unraveled some in the second inning when a one-out error put runners on the corners and a safety squeeze play from the Bruins tied the game at 1-1. ASU had a chance to escape the inning with just the one run but a dropped ball on an exchange allowed another run to score and a two-run homer gave UCLA a 4-1 lead with all four runs being unearned.
BIG MOMENT
The Sun Devils responded to close the gap to 4-3 on Tobias’ two-RBI double in the third. After Rohan Lettow retired the first four batters he faced, a pair of singles and a hit-by-pitch loaded the bases for UCLA in the fourth and a hanging breaking ball was punished for a grand slam that would effectively end the Bruins’ offense for the night but give the team all the run support it would need.
FINAL STRAW
Outside of a Tobias solo homer in the sixth inning, the Sun Devils didn’t advance a runner beyond second base as the bats managed just three hits beyond that decisive fourth inning. The bullpen did its part by holding UCLA scoreless down the stretch but the Sun Devil offense couldn’t keep the pressure on the Bruins for the comeback attempt.
PLAYER OF THE GAME
Jacob Tobias was essentially the lone source of offense for the Sun Devils, going 4-for-4 out of ASU’s six total hits in the game. His four RBIs represented the lone runs scored for ASU in the contest.
INNING BY INNING
First Inning
The Sun Devils got a two-out double to the wall in left center from Brandon Compton before Jacob Tobiasfouled off several two-strike offerings before getting a Texas League RBI single to left field to get ASU on the board, 1-0. Easton Barrett earned his first career start and worked his way through the potent top half of the Bruin order, stranding a two-out error at first with his first career strikeout against the UCLA cleanup hitter.
Second Inning
The Sun Devils went down in order with two strikeouts and a one-pitch out in the second. A one-out error after a leadoff walk put runners on the corners and UCLA evened the game on a safety squeeze sac bunt. The Bruins would take the lead on a diving play from Walker at second but a drop on the exchange allowed the runner at third to score. The defensive miscues that extended the inning inevitably bit the Sun Devils on a two-run homer to make it 4-1 – all four runs being unearned
Third Inning
The Sun Devils against worked a two-out rally after a leadoff walk from Contrades and two-out walk from Compton. The Devils got a gift from the ocean twilight as Tobias launched one that got lost into the lights and the sky that dropped for a two-RBI double to bring ASU back within 4–3. Rohan Lettow entered the game and retired the Bruin side in order, including two punchouts in the process.
Fourth Inning
The Sun Devils would go down in order again. After retired the first four batters he faced, two line drive singles, a HBP and a grand slam blew the game open for the Bruins, making it 8-3.
Fifth Inning
Contrades reached on a one-out error but was picked up as UCLA faced the minimum in the frame. Giblin worked a quick 1-2-3 frame in relief to keep the score at 8-3.
Sixth Inning
Tobias continued to remain the lone source of Sun Devil offense, launching a solo homer for his fourth RBI of the game to make it 8-4. Giblin worked his second-straight 1-2-3 inning to keep ASU in striking distance.
Seventh Inning
Brody Briggs got the first hit from the bottom five hitters in the Sun Devil order with one out but that was the extent of the action for the Sun Devil offense. Sean Fitzpatrick recorded all three outs by strikeout after a one-out single.
Eighth Inning
Tobias recorded his fourth hit of the night with two outs but ASU couldn;t do anything with it. Eli Buxtonclosed things out for ASU with a solid 1-2-3 frame in the eighth – his second straight game doing so after also tossing a 1-2-3 ninth against Oral Roberts on Sunday.
Ninth Inning
ASU got a leadoff walk from Isaiah Jackson but could do no more than move him over to second as the team took its second loss of the season.
Press Release courtesy of Sun Devil Athletics – Jeremy Hawkes
Click on Logo
