(Rebecca Striffler/WCSN)
For Arizona State baseball, it felt like déjà vu from its 5-0 win over Utah last Sunday. Only this time, the damage to Cal State Fullerton on Friday night was much greater.
Just like their last game, redshirt freshman right-hander Seth Tomczak started for the Sun Devils and pitched into the third inning. Once again, redshirt sophomore right-hander Will Levine would take over and send down a horde of Titans, retiring seven of the eight batters he faced and allowing no hits.
While the rest of the bullpen crew utterly dominated, ASU was equally superior on the offensive side. It would ride this two-pronged supremacy to a 10-0 win over Cal State Fullerton to earn its seventh consecutive victory.
“Not the most conventional way to do it,” head coach Tracy Smith said in regards to bullpenning. “That’s going to be our formula. Whether it works or it doesn’t, that’s how we’re going to have to do it.”
After it was announced earlier this week that redshirt sophomore left-hander Erik Tolman would be sidelined for an extended period of time, the Sun Devils are now even more limited in their rotation. The only pitcher remaining from the season-opening set of starters is redshirt sophomore right-hander Tyler Thornton.
Yet, with all the depth at the reliever position, Smith said that if the players fill their role, it will be “quality stuff on a Friday night regardless.”
Amid a cold, wet and dreary night at Phoenix Municipal Stadium, the offense came alive early on and kept punching throughout.
The onslaught was set in motion in the fifth inning, starting with redshirt freshman right-fielder Kai Murphy’s odd infield double off the cleat of Titans starter Tanner Bibee. The junior right-hander would not be the same after the powerful bullet to his foot, as ASU redshirt junior left-fielder Allbry Major sent Murphy home with a single up the middle to make the score 3-0.
“It honestly starts with Kai Murphy,” redshirt freshman center-fielder Joe Lampe said. “What gets us fired up is us running the bases and taking advantage of other teams. I think there’s going to be a different guy every night that can provide a spark, and Kai was the man tonight.”
Lampe himself displayed heads-up baserunning on Friday with one of the more impressive highlights of the night.
In the sixth inning, Lampe scored off a sacrifice fly by redshirt junior shortstop Drew Swift. Similar to Murphy’s play, the run cannot be appreciated by looking at the traditional scorecard.
After a fly ball was caught deep towards the warning track, Lampe used his jaw-dropping speed to zoom from second base all the way home. Lampe said it was the second time in his career that he has tagged up and scored from second base.
“I’m preparing to not stop,” Lampe said about his mindset during the play. “When I see that right-fielder drifting to the right field corner and he catches it, my head is down and I’m at full speed. Nine out of 10 times I’m going to take that chance.”
The other star on Friday was Major, who finished batting 2-4 with three RBI’s. It was a breakout game for the struggling Xavier transfer, who entered the night with a .200 batting average and just one RBI.
Major quickly woke up the crowd in the seventh inning though, blasting a first pitch two-run shot into the right field bullpen to make it 10-0. He added his own flair to the home run with a smooth strut and admiration of the bomb before delivering a massive bat flip. It was his first home run as a Sun Devil.
“Once you get out there and in the moment, that’s all natural,” Major said of the bat flip. “Hopefully that’s the first of many.”
Redshirt freshman second baseman Sean McLain also had a bat flip of close stature after his solo shot to left field in the fifth inning, a frame which featured a two-run homer by redshirt junior designated hitter Hunter Jump as well. Combined, the two dingers allowed ASU to open the game by virtue of a 6-0 lead.
The Sun Devils were relentless with their bats, going five consecutive innings in which they scored at least one run. All together, ASU had 12 hits compared to the Titans’ four.
Even with the collective shutout from the pitching staff and the offensive aggression, Smith knows to temper his expectations.
“Baseball has a really good way of humbling you when you start feeling fat and sassy,” Smith said. “What I think our ceiling is, is we’re going to take it one game at a time. I like the way we’re playing, but it’s a long season and we want to be good and clicking by the time we hit conference [play].”
With all the adversity the Sun Devils have faced with injuries, Smith believes his group has handled it well and can only keep growing from here.
“I like our mentality right now,” Smith said. “It doesn’t matter what circumstance you throw at us, we’re going to find a way to get it done.”
