(Photo: Brendan O’Keeffe/WCSN)
In a game that seemed like it could have been separated into two different ones, Arizona State Baseball came from behind to beat Cal 16-9 on Sunday, and in effect took two out of three from the Golden Bears this weekend.
When asked if this was the Sun Devils’ best win of the season, ASU Head Coach Willie Bloomquist said “Absolutely.
“I’m just super proud of those guys and it’s good to see those guys feel good about it,” he added. “For them to come through on our end and get one late like that just makes me super happy for those guys in there. They deserve it.”
In terms of the impact a win like Sunday’s could have on the rest of the season, Bloomquist felt that it could hold some weight.
“It was bigger than just the one game,” Bloomquist said. “We’re at that point in the season where we have to win series’ and today it was kind of a bounce-back game and see what you’re made of.”
After pulling to within one run – the score 9-8 Cal – in the bottom of the eighth thanks to freshman infielder Alex Champagne’s RBI single, redshirt sophomore outfielder Joe Lampe hit a slow ground ball that went through the glove of Cal junior infielder Nathan Martorella Billy Buckner-style, which scored freshman catcher Ryan Campos and freshman infielder Jacob Tobias to put the Sun Devils in front 10-9.
ASU did not stop, scoring six more runs in the frame. Freshman infielder Cam Magee came in after sophomore infielder Ethan Long was ejected in the bottom of the seventh and cleared the bases with a three-run triple that busted the game open and made the score 13-9 ASU.
“We all know our role on the team so whatever happens, we have to perform to our best,” Magee said.
The Sun Devils weren’t done, however. Senior infielder Conor Davis continued the rally, nearly homering off the right-center field wall into a RBI double to push the ASU lead to five. Campos then worked a four pitch walk to bring in another run and Champagne reached on a fielder’s choice, scoring redshirt sophomore outfielder Kai Murphy. At the end of it all, ASU led 16-9.
“Everyone was really excited,” Campos said of the atmosphere in the dugout during the rally. “We knew that the game wasn’t over, so that’s why we kept going and got a couple more after.”
Redshirt junior left-handed pitcher Adam Tulloch got the start for ASU and his struggles continued.
It was only two pitches into the game before Cal got on the board. Senior infielder Hance Smith singled and then advanced to second on a balk. On the very next pitch, junior outfielder Dylan Beavers singled to right field, scoring Smith to give the Golden Bears a very quick 1-0 lead.
Martorella then singled home Beavers two batters later to push the Cal lead to 2-0.
ASU was able to get a run back in the second inning in a rather unconventional way. Sophomore infielder Nate Baez began a three-double day with a hit to begin the inning. He advanced to third when Murphy grounded out. Baez came across to score on a balk by Cal freshman left-handed starting pitcher Ian May to make the score 2-1 Golden Bears.
Cal responded with a three-run third inning. Smith again singled and Beavers tripled him home to give the Golden Bears a 3-1 lead. Three pitches later, freshman catcher Caleb Lomavita hit a ball that hit the batter’s eye in center field to make it 5-1 Golden Bears.
Baez’s second double of the game made it 5-2 Cal, but a pair of pop outs ended the frame.
Bloomquist wanted to take Tulloch’s negative and turn it into a positive.
“He didn’t give in – he kept trying to pump the strike zone,” Bloomquist said. “He still managed to continue competing even though things weren’t pretty and to me that’s a big step in the right direction.”
Cal began to pour it on in the top of the fifth. Beavers doubled and Lomavita singled, putting runners at the corners. Martorell doubled both of them home, pushing the Golden Bears’ lead to 7-2. Then, with the bases loaded, junior infielder Keshawn Ogans doubled two more runs home, scoring Martorella and senior catcher Cole Elvis, who singled to reach base, making the score 9-2 Cal.
ASU junior right-handed pitcher Chase Webster came in and shut down the Cal offense. He threw four scoreless innings, striking out two batters and not walking any. Bloomquist credited the use of Webster’s offspeed pitch that stifled the Cal offense.
“He landed his breaking ball to keep them off balance where they had to honor that and swing at it,” Bloomquist said. “I’m just extremely happy with the job he did.”
Webster said it wasn’t in the game plan to use the breaking ball – it was just working for him.
“I just saw that my breaking ball was working and they weren’t really swinging at it so I stuck with it,” Webster said.
ASU slowly got back into things in the bottom of the sixth inning. Baez’s third double of the contest scored Davis and Long to bring the Sun Devils’ deficit to 9-4. Then, with two outs and two on, Campos homered the opposite way for his first home run of the season, shrinking Cal’s lead to 9-7.
“I was just trying to get a good pitch to hit and get the guy on second in,” Campos said. “We were working the whole game to get going and we were just trying to do our part.
Baez is excited to see the success of Campos. With him swinging the bat well, it allows Baez to play other positions in the field to keep both bats in the lineup.
“[Campos is] one of the hardest workers I’ve ever seen and I still look up to him in the way he carries himself,” Baez said. “He already is really good, but he’s just gonna be even better and I’m just excited to see that happen.”
With the one crooked number that began the comeback, Bloomquist felt that was all they needed to get going.
“I felt that if we could just put together one decent thing that we’d be within striking distance,” Bloomquist said. “We knew if we got into their bullpen we had a shot to put together a big inning or two.”
ASU now prepares to host arch-rival Arizona on Tuesday night.
It’s safe to say Bloomquist is excited.
“I’m excited about Tuesday and I think those guys in there know I’m excited about it,” Bloomquist said. “This is why you play college baseball. It is for these kinds of games. But when you go into a rivalry game like this, the gloves are off, and here we go.”
