(Photo: Kimmy Davis/WCSN)
Down 6-4 in the bottom of the ninth after blowing a lead early in the game, the Sun Devils mustered up three runs, highlighted by a two-run walk-off single by pinch-hitter Chris Beall, which gave ASU a 7-6 win.
“I really wasn’t thinking,” Beall said after the game. “I was just glad to be in there.”
“I just try to stay ready, you know, the more you try to get yourself mentally locked in, the better your chances. I was just happy that coach trusted me and put me in there and things turned out well.”
The decision to pinch-hit Beall was a risky one by head coach Tracy Smith, especially considering Beall came into the game 1-for-his-last-19 and hitting .129.
But Smith trusted Beall, and noticed how well he was performing at practice, so he decided to pull the trigger at the most crucial point in the ballgame.
“I was so happy for him because he was the guy all week who been staying extra and after practice hitting and putting himself in that position,” Smith said. “It worked out tonight but I’m really happy for him and it’s one of those examples in sports that if you keep working and you keep being positive then good results will follow.”
Despite the incredible win, the Sun Devils did their best job to give it away in the fifth and sixth innings, when their relievers let Stanford transform a 4-1 lead into a 6-4 deficit.
The Sun Devils pounced on Stanford early with an RJ Ybarra line drive double to left that brought in Johnny Sewald, giving ASU a 1-0 lead after one inning.
Stanford cut into ASU’s lead in the third with a Tommy Edman double play groundout that scored Jonny Locher.
But the Sun Devils fought right back, beginning with a Trever Allen double to right field that helped Ybarra score ASU’s third run.
Greer’s blooper single to center scored Allen and gave ASU a 4-1 advantage after three innings of play.
Greer recorded three hits on the day, and his head coach was certainly impressed.
“Every game I see him he makes me more confident in what he’s doing,” Smith said. “Threw together some good at-bats, and (I’m) proud of that.”
The outing of ASU’s starter Seth Martinez ended in the fifth, when he let the Cardinal load the bases with just one out. Martinez finished with 4.1 innings pitched, five hits allowed, four strikeouts and one earned run.
Darin Gillies relieved Martinez and started off strong by striking out the first batter he saw. But things quickly turned for the worst for Gillies, beginning with a wild pitch against Austin Barr that let Bryce Carter steal home.
In that same at-bat, Gillies surrendered a two-RBI single to left from Barr, knotting the game up at four runs apiece. Matt Winaker then ripped a triple into right field that brought in Barr and gave the Cardinal a 5-4 lead.
After Stanford put runners on the corners, Gillies was promptly taken out for Eder Erives, who didn’t fare much better. He gave up an RBI single to Edman that scored Carter, giving Stanford a 6-4 lead after six.
Stanford maintained the 6-4 advantage into the top of the ninth. With two outs and two runners on, Alex Dunlap singled to left field, but Peevyhouse threw a rocket from the outfield to allow Brian Serven to tag out Mikey Diekroeger at the plate to keep the Cardinal lead 6-4.
With the game on the line, the Sun Devils came up huge in the ninth. Colby Woodmansee, Ybarra, and Allen filled the bases with no outs. Brian Serven’s rocket down the third base line appeared like it was going to knot the game, but it was ultimately snagged by the third baseman Diekroeger. Joey Bielek’s hard-hit ground ball in the following at-bat was then robbed by second baseman Tommy Edman. Despite the bad luck, the groundout scored Woodmansee and cut the deficit to one run.
After a Greer walk, pinch-hitter Chris Beall supplied the heroics when he lined the offer from Cardinal pitcher Colton Hock into right field to bring home two runners and give ASU the 7-6 win.
The win for the Sun Devils is their fourth walk-off win of the season, and the team is now 9-3 in one-run games.
The Sun Devils play again tomorrow at Phoenix Municipal Stadium with Ryan Kellogg getting the start for ASU. First pitch is at 6:30 p.m.
