(Photo: Gabrielle Mercer/WCSN)
A game away from .500, the Arizona State Sun Devils hosted the Cal State Bakersfield Roadrunners for the final game of a three-game series, as they looked for the sweep.
In what was a very back-and-forth game at the start, Mahlik Jones started the scoring in the second for CSUB with a home run, but Carter Aldrete and ASU answered back in the fourth with a sacrifice fly.
The two teams traded five-run innings in the sixth, with the bottom half being capped off with a game-tying home run from Hunter Bishop, a three-run shot that cleared the wall in right-center field.
The Roadrunners came back strong though, scoring single runs in the seventh and eighth innings to take an 8-6 lead. Reliever Naithen Dewsnap took the mound in the bottom of the seventh and pitched three scoreless innings to secure the 8-6 win for Bakersfield, allowing them to salvage a game.
PLAYER OF THE GAME: Mahlik Jones. While he struggled on the mound, the senior went 3-4 at the plate, scoring two runs and driving in three. His single in the seventh gave CSUB them the lead. His RBIs were the difference in the game.
UNSUNG HERO: Naithen Dewsnap. In relief, Dewsnap threw three scoreless and hitless innings, allowing CSU Bakersfield to take the read after ASU tied it up in the sixth.
YOU KNEW IT WAS OVER WHEN: Naithen Dewsnap took the mound in the bottom of the ninth. While he allowed a baserunner, his first two innings were dominant and ASU could not manage a hit off of him
STAT OF THE DAY: In his last 15 games, Gage Canning has 31 hits and is hitting .508. 10 of those 15 games have been multi-hit games and six of those 10 have been three-hit games, including his last four. Canning has scored at least one run in his last nine games and has 12 RBIs over those nine games. His 3-hit game on Sunday puts his season batting average at a team-best .359.
BIGGEST CONCERN: Pitching wasn’t spectacular. The first four pitchers of the game for ASU all allowed runs, with Eder Erives giving up six hits and Reagan Todd allowing seven. While the staff only walked two batters, they allowed a combined 16 hits, which is not a recipe for success in baseball.
WHAT’S UP NEXT? Since the first time since Mid-March, ASU does not have a mid-week contest. They hit the road next weekend and face the Oregon Ducks. First pitch on Friday is at 6 P.M.
