(Photo: Karli Matthias/WCSN)
After a late-inning comeback and win by the Saint Mary’s Gaels on Saturday, Arizona State went into Sunday’s game looking to avoid a series sweep.
Freshman right-hander Boyd Vader Kooi took the mound for the Sun Devils facing off against Ken Waldichuk starting for the Gaels.
The game started off as a pitching duel. Both pitchers were quickly packing on the strikeouts and rushing through the first three innings.
ASU sophomore catcher Lyle Lin knocked the game’s first run in during 4th inning. With two outs for ASU in the inning, Lin shot a solo home run to over the left field fence to give ASU a 1-0 lead.
The Gaels came back to tie the game up 1-1 in the 6th when catcher Jackson Thoreson hit a double and was brought home on an RBI single by first baseman Austin Chauvin. However, that was the only damage Saint Mary’s was able to produce against Vander Kooi on the day.
ASU answered immediately in the bottom half of the sixth when freshman Gage Workman started off the bottom of the 6th with a single. He moved to second on a well-executed sacrifice bunt by freshman second baseman Alika Williams. ASU’s junior center fielder Gage Canning sent Workman home with a single and ASU regained a 2-1 lead.
With the hard-throwing freshman on the mound for ASU, the team never looked back.
Vander Kooi pitched 7 and 2/3 innings allowing one run on four hits while striking out nine Gaels. He was relieved by sophomore southpaw Chaz Montoya in the 8th.
Waldichuk was taken out in the 8th. He pitched 7.2 innings, allowed 2 runs and 7 hits. He struck out 10. Conner Loeprich took the mound with runners on first and second.
The Sun Devils won the game 2-1 and avoided the series sweep.
Player of the Game: Boyd Vander Kooi. ASU’s right-handed starter was lights out in his second start of the season. Vader Kooi and St. Mary’s Waldichuk gave fans a good old-fashioned pitcher’s duel.
Unsung Hero: Gage Workman came up with a leadoff single in the 6th after the Gaels tied it up 1-1. That hit would get the ball rolling for ASU to retake the lead 2-1.
You Knew It Was Over When: Montoya struck out Joe Vranesh for the second out in the ninth inning.
Stat of the Day: Lyle Lin went 3-4 with a solo home run and two singles. He had the most success of the Sun Devil’s lineup against Waldichuk.
Biggest Concern: Although Vander Kooi was excellent, he hit two batsmen and walked three more. Command issues have been something that has plagued the entire starting rotation early in 2018.
What’s Next?: The Sun Devils will travel to California to face the Long Beach State Dirtbags for a two game mid-week series on Tuesday the 27th and Wednesday the 28th.
