Dean Toigo homered twice, including a ninth-inning grand slam, and recorded six RBIs to pace the Sun Devil offense in Manhattan
(Manhattan, KS) As much as Friday’s opener in the Big 12 series between Sun Devil Baseball and Kansas State was largely a pitcher’s duel, Saturday’s marathon was anything but as Arizona State rallied past the Wildcats with an eight-run ninth inning to take the game, 18-12, and seal the series in Manhattan.
Dean Toigo homered twice, including a massive knockout grand slam in the ninth-inning eruption and the Sun Devils (17-5, 4-1 Big 12) rallied from a late deficit for the second consecutive evening to take the series away from the hot-hitting Wildcats (16-7, 2-3 Big 12).
After last night’s contest featured nine runs in total between the two teams, Saturday saw the squads surpass that total by the end of the second inning with the score tied at 5-5. The hits and runs only continued to pile on from there with the teams combining for 31 hits, six homers, nine doubles and 25 free passes between walks, hit batters, wild pitches and errors in a contest that lasted nearly four hours.
Toigo finished with four hits and six RBIs in the contest with Landon Hairston recording four hits of his own (two doubles and a homer). Dominic Smaldino had two big hits late in the game and had a multi-RBI effort, as did PJ Moutzouridis (3) and Austen Roellig (2).
Colby Guy steadied the ship after K-State’s hot start to the game, tossing 3.2 innings in relief after being forced into action in the second inning. Guy allowed just one run and struck out three as a bright spot on an otherwise forgettable day for pitching on either side of the coin.
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Inning by inning
First inning
Hairston led off with a single and took second and third on a pair of wild pitches and scored on a one-out Roellig single. Toigo got all of one after that for his seventh homer in the last nine games, a two-run shot that gave ASU an early 3-0 lead. K-State came right back with a pair of leadoff doubles and a walk and a one-out single loaded the bases. A missed foul tip call led to a wild strike three that allowed a runner to score from third and another scored on an infield single to tie the game but ASU was able to make a play on the trail runner to keep the go-ahead run from scoring.
Second inning
Leach reached on a one-out error and stole second with two outs and Hairston picked up where he left off last night with a moonshot down the right field line that registered as a 43 degree exit angle to make it 5-3. The hits kept coming with K-State leading off with a single and a two-run homer to immediately tie the game again. A walk and a one-out single would end Overbay’s day. Colby Guy came in and stranded both runners to keep things netted at 5-5.
Third inning
Roellig led off with a single and Toigo doubled to put both runners in scoring position with no outs. Roellig scored on an RBI groundout from Smaldino.A pair of RBI groundouts from Smaldino and Michel made it 7-5. Guy worked around a leadoff walk to post the first zero of the ball game to keep the Sun Devils on top by a pair.
Fourth inning
Briggs drew a one-out walk but a double play ended the frame with no damage done for ASU for the first time. KSU got a leadoff single on the first pitch of the frame.Guy got the defending Big 12 Player of the Week to ground into a double play but saw a check swing beat the shift for a two-out baserunner and a double would score the runner to bring K-State back within 7-6.
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Fifth inning
Roellig reached again on a one-out HBP and moved to second on a sac bunt but ASU couldn’t bring him home. The Wildcats got another leadoff baserunner via walk but a strikeout and double play ended that threat.
Sixth inning
Michel reached on a leadoff walk of his own but a double play was called on an obstruction call and a groundout led the ASU’s third scoreless frame. K-State notched a leadoff baserunner for the sixth consecutive inning via another another pair of walks – this time off of Linder out of the pen as ASU had to go right back to it in favor in Butler. A double plated the tying run and moved the go-ahead runs into scoring position with no outs and a hanging breaking ball put K-State on top with another RBI single. A sac fly made it 9-7 before Butler was able to get a punchout and flyout to keep ASU within striking distance.
Seventh inning
Briggs drew a leadoff walk to turn things back to the top of the order and Hairston doubled to put the tying runs in scoring position. Moutzouridis sliced one through the right side to beat the severe shift and plate both runs and even the game back at 9-9. Toigo notched a one-out single to keep the pressure on. Smaldino followed with an RBI single of his own to retake the lead at 10-9. Eli Buxton entered in relief and posted the first true 1-2-3 inning for either team, striking out the side in the bottom of the seventh.
Eighth inning
Leach notched a leadoff single and Hairston a one-out double to put runners in scoring position and Moutzouridis walked to load the bases but ASU squandered the opportunity with a foul pop out and a ground out and was unable to add to the lead. Buxton walked to leadoff batter to put the tying run on and ASU went to Fitzpatrick. The runner moved to scoring position on a wild pitch but it didn’t matter as a monstrous 478-foot homer put K-State back on top, 11-10. A HBP and stolen base but the insurance run in scoring position and moved to third on a groundout but Fitzpatrick was able to strand him there to give the Sun Devils a chance.
Ninth inning
Smaldino led off with a double to center on the first pitch he saw and Michel singled to put runners on the corners. Sam Myers quickly fell behind in the count as a pinch hitter before finding the hole in the right side for an RBI single to tie the game as the pinch runner McGary moved to third on the play and scored on a wild pitch a couple pitches later to give ASU a 12-11 lead. Briggs drew a one-out HBP to put two on with one out and bring Hairston to the plate and a pitching change. A wild pitch advanced the runners and ASU put Hairston on with the intentional walk to the free base to load them up with one out. Moutzouridis and Roellig drew RBI walks to make it 14-12 and then Toigo had the big knock of the frame with a first pitch oppo taco for his second homer of the game and ASU’s sixth grand slam of the weekend to make it 18-11. Derek Schaefer shook off a leadoff homer and a dusk ball to get through the ninth with minimal drama to seal the series victory, 18-12.
Up next
The Sun Devils will look to claim a rare road series sweep tomorrow in Manhattan with the game scheduled for 11 a.m. AZT (1 p.m. local). The game will be streamed live via ESPN+.
Press Release courtesy of Sun Devil Athletics – Jeremy Hawkes
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