Arizona State (23-12, 9-5 Big 12) was efficient in all facets of the game on Saturday, recording 12 hits on offense, striking out 16 on the bump and posting just one tough luck error on defense.
Matt King continued his torrential run, going 4-for-5 with three RBIs to boost his team-leading average to .402 on the season – up from .286 as recently as March 23rd. Kyle Walker, Landon Hairston and Kien Vu each recorded two hits.
Jacob Tobias, playing in his 200th career game in the Maroon and Gold, recorded his 184th career RBI in the contest.
Jack Martinez, who had battled a clubhouse flu for the last 72 hours, soldiered through 5.0 innings of work with 10 strikeouts and just three earned runs allowed to earn the win. Cole Carlon remained nigh unhittable, tossing 4.0 scoreless innings with six strikeouts and just one hit to earn the save.
The Sun Devils will look to win their fifth straight road series dating back to last season in tomorrow’s rubber match with first pitch scheduled for 10 a.m. AZT (1 p.m. locally).
TURNING POINT
Like last night, ASU took advantage of an inning-extending error by the Bearcats in the first inning to jump out to a 3-0 lead. Unlike last night – when Arizona State promptly gave two of those runs back in the bottom half of the inning – Jack Martinez struck out the side in the bottom half of the frame and allowed the Sun Devils some breathing room in retiring the first nine batters he faced.
BIG MOMENT
Martinez experienced his high stress situation in the fourth as a single and three free bases pushed the first UC runner across with no outs and the bases loaded. In what could have been a disastrous frame for the Sun Devils, Martinez allowed just one more run on a sac fly in the frame, keeping ASU up 4-2 – a lead the team would extend to 5-2 in the next half inning.
FINAL STRAW
Martinez got ASU through 5.0 inning with a 5-4 lead after UC picked up two runs in the fifth – one coming by way of just sheer bad luck on an error. The Sun Devils picked him up in the top of the sixth with back-to-back RBI singles from Landon Hairston and Matt King to make it 7-4. That was more than enough cushion for the red hot Cole Carlon, who mowed down the Bearcat order over 4.0 innings to close out the game with a save, striking out six, allowing just one hit and one walk and no runs and helping record the last out of the game as UC tried to sneak a bunt by him to slow down his rhythm – a futile feat as the sophomore executed a perfect PFP for the final out.
INNING BY INNING
First Inning
Walker led the game off with an infield single and a UC error on a tailor made double play ball put a pair of runners on with no outs. Walker and Hairston moved to scoring position on a passed ball and King extended his hitting streak to 12 games with a two-RBI double to make it 2-0 without an out. King moved to third on a Tobias groundout and scored on a Compton RBI fielder’s choice to make it 3-0 early. Martinez struck out the side in the bottom half of the frame.
Second Inning
Vu stayed hot with a leadoff single up the middle and Cromwick was plunked to again put the first two runners on without an out. UC was able to get the force at third on a fielder’s choice and a double play got the Bearcats out of the frame unscathed. Martinez again worked a 1-2-3 frame, notable as the Sun Devils had ZERO 1-2-3 frames on the pitching end in last night’s game.
Third Inning
King led off with a single but a flyout and the second-straight inning ending double play ended the threat. Martinez remained perfect the first time through the order, adding another pair of strikeouts.
Fourth Inning
Contrades smoked his second ball of the game but again it went in the books as a loud out after being tracked to the warning track in deep left center. Jackson reached on an error and went first to third on Vu’s second single and scored on a Cromwick sac fly to make it 4-0. Martinez faced his first adversity of the game, largely due to free bases with a leadoff single, two HBPs (both with two strikes) and a walk scoring a run for UC with still no outs. Martinez was able to limit the damage to just one more run after that on a sac fly to keep ASU up, 4-2.
Fifth Inning
Hairston notched another leadoff hit for ASU with a hustle double and moved to third on a King groundout. Tobias recorded his 184th career RBI in career game No. 200 with a first-pitch RBI single, extending his hitting streak to 10 games in the process to make it 5-2. Tobias would take second on a groundout and third on a wild pitch and Contrades walked and stole second but it was for naught with an inning-ending groundout.
A leadoff double and single led to a sac fly and UC quickly got the run back. A pair of steals moved a runner to third with one out. ASU tried to make a play on the runner at the plate on a soft grounded but the ball hit the runner, who slid in safely to get UC back within 5-4 while the runner took second as the ball rolled to the backstop. Martinez was able to strand that tying run hin scoring position to keep ASU on top by a run with his 10th strikeout.
Sixth Inning
Vu reached again on a leadoff HBP and moved to third on a one-out Walker double and Hairston’s second hit of the game plated another run. King welcomed the new pitcher into the game with his third RBI of the contest to make it 7-4 and a Tobias flyout to the warning track moved runners to second and third with two outs. Compton got a piece of one but right at the UC third baseman to end the threat.
Cole Carlon gave ASU a much-needed zero, working around a two out walk with his first strikeout to keep the lead at three.
Seventh Inning
Jackson reached on a one-out HBP and went to third on a two-out bloop single from Cromwick but was caught stealing home on a double steal attempt. Carlon worked a 1-2-3 frame with a pair of strikeouts to keep the score at 7-4.
Eighth Inning
Matt King continued his insane tear with his fourth hit of the game and second double but that was the extent of the action. Carlon cooly worked another 1-2-3 inning.
Ninth Inning
Jackson reached on a two-out walk but was unable to do anything else. Carlon’s hitless inning streak came to an end on a leadoff double but bounced back with a pair of strikeouts. UC tried to bunt for a base hit to catch the sophomore off guard, an ill-guided attempt as Carlon easy pounced off the bump and made the toss to first for the final out to seal the save.
Press Release courtesy of Sun Devil Athletics – Jeremy Hawkes
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