(Lincoln, NE) No. 22 Sun Devil Baseball bounced back in a big way from Friday’s tough loss, routing South Dakota State, 17-0, to stay alive in the elimination bracket of the Lincoln Regional on Saturday in Lincoln, Neb. Having to take the field less than 13 hours after a heartbreaking 14-inning loss, Arizona State (38-20) rode a career game from Valley-native Kole Klecker and one of the most explosive innings in NCAA postseason history en route to tomorrow’s elimination game between the loser of the Ole Miss-Nebraska contest later Saturday evening.
The Sun Devils recorded grand slams in the fifth and sixth innings from Nu’u Contrades and Austen Roellig to blow the game open, taking advantage of nine Jackrabbit walks and three errors to score 17 runs on just 11 hits. Klecker gave the Sun Devils a career-high 8.0 innings of work, smashing his career high with 13 strikeouts – four more than his previous high of nine set as a freshman in the postseason of the 2023 tournament.
The veteran struck out two in each of the first five innings of the game, giving the offense time to wake up before he capped his outing off by striking out the side in the eighth inning. The bats were quiet early while the team tried to solve SDSU starter Drew McDowell, recording just one hit over the first four innings – a solo shot from Dean Toigo in the first to give ASU a 1-0 lead. When the bats came alive, they did so in historic fashion with an 11-run fifth inning that represented the second-most runs scored by a team in an NCAA Regional or Super Regional in history, highlighted by Contrades’ grand slam – his third homer of the regional.
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Inning by inning
First inning
Starting for the Sun Devils, Kole Klecker pitched a 1-2-3 top of the inning, complete with two strikeouts and a flyout.
After the first two went down quickly, Dean Toigo lifted a home run to right center to give the Sun Devils a 1-0 lead. Smaldino popped out to second to end the frame.
Second inning
Klecker continued his outing on the mound, getting a flyout and a strikeout before allowing an infield single. However, he was able to strike out the next batter to close out the scoreless inning.
The Sun Devils went down in order in the second.
Third inning
Another three-up, three-down inning saw Klecker strike out two and get an inning-ending groundout.
Despite a leadoff walk from Brody Briggs, Arizona State wasn’t able to move him over as a strikeout, popout, and flyout followed.
Fourth inning
Adding another two strikeouts, Klecker delivered another scoreless frame.
Arizona State’s bats were quiet in the fourth.
Fifth inning
Continuing his outing on the mound, Klecker put up another zero with a scoreless inning, bookended by strikeouts.
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Garrett Michel led off the inning with a walk before moving over to third on a single from Austen Roellig. Briggs took a four-pitch walk to load up the bases, and PJ Moutzouridis worked an RBI-walk to extend ASU’s lead to 2-0. Landon Hairston delivered an RBI-single through the left side before Nu’u Contrades came through with a big swing, depositing a ball into the visitor bullpen for a grand slam, making it 7-0, Sun Devils. Toigo then reached and advanced to third on an error from the pitcher, coming around to score on a single from Dominic Smaldino. Longo singled to put runners on the corners, and Ky McGary walked to load the bases once again. Back-to-back four-pitch walks from Roellig and Briggs drove in two more runs for the Sun Devils to make it a 10-0 game. Moutzouridis grounded into a double play, driving in a run, and Hairston picked up his second RBI-single of the inning to make it 12-0. A flyout to center ended the frame.
Sixth inning
Klecker returned to the mound after the long bottom of the fifth and pitched another scoreless frame. The first hitter went down on a groundout, and after allowing a bloop single, Klecker induced an inning-ending double play.
Toigo took a leadoff walk, then moved over to second as Smaldino reached on an error. A single from Longo loaded the bases, and a hit-by-pitch for McGary drove in another run for Arizona State. Roellig then delivered a grand slam to right center to make it a 17-0 lead. Coen Niclai, pinch hitting for Briggs, singled into left, and Moutzouridis followed it up with a single through the left side. Hairston flew out to center, moving both runners into scoring position, but both were left stranded after a groundout and a pop out.
Seventh inning
Remaining on the mound, Klecker retired the first hitter on a flyout to left field. He walked the next hitter, then got a fielder’s choice groundout for the second out. Another flyout to left concluded another scoreless frame.
Despite the first two hitters reaching on a walk and a hit by pitch, the next three Arizona State hitters went down in order, with the score staying at 17-0.
Eighth inning
Klecker went back out for the eighth, retiring the first two hitters via strikeout before allowing a two-out double down the left field line. A walk put two runners on for South Dakota St, but Klecker was able to strikeout the next batter to retire the side.
Arizona State went down in order in the bottom of the eighth.
Ninth inning
Josh Butler was called in from the bullpen, retiring the side on three straight groundouts, sealing the 17-0 victory.
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Up next
The Sun Devils will turn to their next game, squaring off the with the loser of Saturday’s Nebraska and Ole Miss game at 12 p.m AZT. The game can be streamed on an ESPN Network (specific channel TBD).
Press Release courtesy of Sun Devil Athletics – Brooklyn Cohen
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