ASU Baseball: Brian Serven’s walk-off single gives Sun Devils crucial win

(Photo: Kimmy Davis/WCSN)

The Sun Devils had not held a lead for the first 17 innings of the series against the Beavers. That finally changed when Brian Serven delivered a walk-off single to left.

Arizona State won in their final at bat for the third time this season in a 4-3 victory over the Oregon State.

Serven had an excellent day for the Sun Devils, getting his two hits at times when ASU desperately needed runs on the board.

“He threw me the same exact pitch [breaking ball] for the second one and thankfully it landed,” said Serven in regards to his two-pitch at bat for the win.

The win means Sunday will decide the series between the ball clubs for the third consecutive season. Also, it snaps an 11-game winning streak for the Beavers.

However the game could have been in hand much sooner if not for the absence of timely hitting.

“We had plenty of opportunities to tack runs on in those middle innings and that’s the stuff that we have to do a better job of,” head coach Tracy Smith said. “But in the end, baseball is a funny game. But hopefully this will give guys to settle in a little bit, relax, and know that we can come back.”

Secondly, and maybe more importantly, the Sun Devils avoid an 0-2 start in Pac-12 play which could have set them back, especially considering how close the conference looks early this season.

“We needed to have this one.” Smith said. “You don’t want to fall 0-2 in this league if you want a chance to win it.”

ASU pitcher Ryan Kellogg got off to a rough start in the first when he gave up a tw0-out double to left field from Gabe Clark that brought in KJ Harrison and gave the Beavers a 1-0 lead.

Kellogg allowed two more runs in the second, starting off with a Logan Ice single to left that scored Joe Gillette. Ice would later be brought home on a Jeff Hendrix single to left field, resulting in a 3-0 OSU advantage.

The Sun Devils got on the board in the second with a David Greer single to right scored Trever Allen, but the Sun Devils couldn’t continue to chip away at the lead and ended the inning on a Jordan Aboites double play groundout.

Despite getting roughed up in his first two innings, Kellogg played quite well during the rest of his outing, giving up just three hits and no runs during that stretch.

“It doesn’t bother him,” Smith said. “He’ll go and attack the strike zone. They were laying some pretty good swings on him, and he just kept being Kellogg, and he did exactly what he was supposed to do which was keep us close so we can comeback and have a chance to comeback.”

After three innings of scoreless play, ASU threatened OSU in the sixth with an RJ Ybarra single and an Allen double gave the Sun Devils runners on second and third with just one out.

However, OSU pitcher Drew Rasmussen proved his worth by forcing a groundout to Serven then striking out Greer to keep the Beaver lead 3-1.

After Kellogg retired in the seventh, the ASU relievers certainly made the game interesting. Freshman reliever Trevor Baca allowed two straight singles in the eighth and was quickly taken out for Hever Bueno.

Despite giving up a blooper single to Gillette, Bueno pitched his way out of a bases-loaded jam to keep the game 3-1 Beavers.

The Sun Devils tightened things up in the eighth starting off with a Colby Woodmasnsee double to center field. He would then score from a Serven ground ball single that barely snuck past OSU third baseman Caleb Hamilton to give ASU its second run.

Joey Bielek kept the comeback alive with a liner RBI single into center field that scored Allen and tied the game at three runs apiece. For Bielek, it was his first start since Feb. 27th in a loss to Bakersfield. He was 0-5 at the plate two weeks ago, he went 3-4 on Saturday.

Closer Ryan Burr began the ninth poorly, allowing a single to begin his outing, but the eventual hero gave him some help. Seven caught OSU second baseman Christian Donahue stealing 2nd for the first out of the inning. Burr would walk leadoff man Jeff Hendrix then respond with back-to-back strikeouts to end the inning.

Momentum favored the Sun Devils in the bottom half, starting with a Jake Peevyhouse single that bounced off the chest of OSU pitcher Zack Reser.

Next up was Woodmansee, who got a huge stroke of luck due to a miscommunication between OSU’s left fielder Joey Jasper and shortstop Trevor Morrison that resulted in his pop fly dropping to the turf and Woodmansee reaching on an error.

Ybarra almost won the game for the Sun Devils with a hard hit shot to deep left field that was caught by a sprinting Jasper to collect the second out of the inning.

But that didn’t stop ASU, as Brian Serven ended it with his single.

The Sun Devils will close out their series against Oregon State tomorrow at 1:00 PDT. Brett Lilek will take the hill for ASU and Travis Eckert will pitch for OSU.

 

 

 

 

 

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