Niclai’s lucky bounce on St. Patrick’s day carries Sun Devils past GCU in walk-off fashion.
(Phoenix, AZ) Sun Devil Baseball shook off a slow start and rallied to defeat Grand Canyon, 4-3, in walkoff fashion in the team’s first extra inning affair of the season in front of 4,479 on Tuesday at Phoenix Municipal Stadium.
Arizona State (15-5) had solid pitching throughout the game, but a slow offense kept the game tied 0-0 until the fifth inning. GCU took an early 2-0 lead, but the team was able to rally from behind to tie it at three in the bottom of the seventh, before securing the victory in the tenth inning.
Dean Toigo got the scoring started with a solo home run in the sixth – his sixth homer in the last seven games – and Coen Niclai had two big swings as his two-run shot tied the game in the seventh before his lucky bounce single in the bottom of the tenth led to the walk-off run.
Easton Barrett got the pitching started, tossing three innings of no-hit ball, rebounding from some previous rough outings. GCU took advantage of the Sun Devil bullpen in the middle innings to the tune of three runs. However, the duo of Colby Guy and Finn Edwards were able to hold it down on the mound, giving the offense a chance to come back.
All told, ASU’s five pitchers combined for 15 strikeouts – the 11th time this season recording double digit strikeouts. Offensively, the team logged 12 hits with Landon Hairston notching three and Dominic Smaldino recording a pair.
Inning by inning
First inning
Easton Barrett took the mound for the Sun Devils, tossing a 1-2-3 inning with three groundouts.
Consecutive hits from Landon Hairston and PJ Moutzouridis kicked off the frame, but a strikeout followed by a lineout double play ended the inning.
Second inning
Barrett returned to the bump where he delivered a quick first out before issuing a walk, allowing the Lopes to get their first baserunner. A flyout gave GCU its second out. The runner was able to steal second on the following play, but a strikeout ended the top of the inning.
Dominic Smaldino started the inning with a single to left center, but was thrown out trying to stretch it into a double. A groundout and a strikeout followed, keeping the score at 0-0.
Third inning
After issuing back to back strikeouts to open the third, Barrett allowed a baserunner on a four-pitch walk. However, a lineout to Smaldino got the third out.
Coen Niclai led off the inning with a walk, but Beckett Zavorek grounded into a double play immediately after. Hairston delivered a two-out single up the middle, and Moutzouridis walked. Roellig flew out to right to end the inning.
Fourth inning
Jaden Alba relieved Barrett and took over pitching duties, and he retired the side on a strikeout, groundout and flyout.
After back-to-back outs, Dominic Longo singled to first. He then advanced to second after Ky McGary was hit by a pitch, but the Sun Devils were unable to capitalize.
Fifth inning
After delivering a strikeout to start the inning, Alba ran into trouble, as four consecutive singles drove in two runs for the Lopes and loaded the bases. A fielder’s choice got an out at home, and a groundout got the third out, with GCU leading 2-0.
The Sun Devils were not able to get anything going in the fifth, going down in order.
Sixth inning
Josh Butler took the hill to start the sixth. Following a groundout, GCU got a runner to second on a double, but Butler ended the inning by delivering consecutive strikeouts.
After a groundout, Dean Toigo crushed a home run to right center, cutting GCU’s lead to 2-1. A flyout and another groundout ended the inning.
Seventh inning
Butler gave up a double to start the inning, and a groundout moved the runner over to third. Colby Guy was the next man up for the Sun Devils. A fielder’s choice scored the runner, making it 3-1, Lopes. Niclai threw out a runner at second for the second out, and a strikeout closed out the frame.
Garrett Michel led off with a pinch hit walk, and Niclai tied up the game with a home run to deep right, making it a 3-3 ballgame. Zavorek flew out to center field, and Hairston struck out for the first two outs. Moutzouridis laced a two-out single to center, then advanced to second on a wild pitch. Roellig singled to short, but Moutzouridis was caught between third and home for the third out.
Eighth inning
Guy threw a 1-2-3 inning with a foul out, strikeout and groundout.
The Sun Devils started the inning with a fly out, but Smaldino advanced to first after a hit-by-pitch. A wild pitch allowed for Smaldino to advance to second and another hit-by-pitch got Garrett Michel on first with two outs, but the Maroon and Gold ended the inning with two runners on base.
Ninth inning
Guy put up another three-up, three-down inning, bookended by strikeouts.
Hairston reached with a one-out single, and Moutzouridis worked a two-out walk, but both were left stranded as Toigo flew out to right to end the inning, sending the game to extras.
Tenth innng
Finn Edwards was the next man out of the bullpen and made quick work of the inning, delivering three strikeouts in a row.
Smaldino singled through the left side to start the bottom of the tenth, but back-to-back outs put the pressure on Niclai when he stepped up to the plate. Niclai delivered with a single off third base, advancing Smaldino to third. An error on the left fielder allowed Smaldino to score and finish the game for the Sun Devils.
Quotables
Head Coach Willie Bloomquist
Opening Statement
“Never gonna be disappointed about a win, especially a walk-off. We came out and did what we had to do to get a win. Coen (Niclai) came up big with not only the two-run homer, but with the base hit there at the end. The left fielder just came really hard after that ball and just misplayed it, unfortunate for him. But you know, (Dominic) Smaldino was running extremely hard there and didn’t slow down, and was able to score on the walk-off there. But I can’t say enough about the job Colby Guy did tonight. Finn Edwards threw the heck out of it. Easton Barrett kind of got back in the saddle there too. Jaden Alba threw the ball fine, I thought. Just made a couple of mistakes there ahead in the count. But all in all, pitching kind of saved us tonight. With only two walks, no errors, we didn’t give any free bases, any free 90s, any extra 90 feet. That was kind of the difference in the game, in my opinion, with the lackluster, kind of sloppy offense tonight.”
On Colby Guy’s performance out of the bullpen
“He came out, peppering the zone, throwing strikes again. Being able to throw the off-speed for strikes, too, is big. Obviously, he’s got a big arm. He’s a low to mid, sometimes upper 90s guy. But everyone can hit a fastball these days, so you have to be able to throw off-speed pitches for strikes. He even threw a change-up for a strike today, which was big. So a big step in the right direction for him as well.”
On Coen Niclai’s big night
“Just did a great job, saved us offensively. We were pretty lackluster. We had some hits, but we just couldn’t string much together. Couldn’t get that big hit with two outs. But he came up and popped a two-run homer there to tie it, and obviously came up with a big hit at the end. So we needed somebody to step up. He did a good job tonight.”
On having consistency from Coen Niclai and Brody Briggs behind the plate
“We’re going to need that. And we knew that going in, if that’s how it was going to be with Coen and Briggs, both of them were going to get a lot of time early on. And we’ll play matchups if we have to. The guy that’s swinging the bat and catching the best is going to get the lion’s share of playing time, but both those guys have done a great job. So I get to pick and choose who I think is the better matchup, not only behind the plate or who’s pitching, but also from an offensive standpoint.”
Press Release courtesy of Sun Devil Athletics – Brooklyn Cohen and Rayne Robinson, Sun Devil Athletics media relations interns
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