(Photo: Nicholas Badders/WCSN)
The Arizona State baseball team welcomed the New Mexico State Aggies to Phoenix Municipal Stadium Wednesday night for a mid-week match-up, but couldn’t overcome a shaky start by Spencer Van Scoyoc en route to an 8-7 loss.
Head coach Tracy Smith gave the starting nod to Van Scoyoc for just the third time this season and the sophomore started off strong, facing just one batter over the minimum through the first two innings.
The Sun Devils struck first in their half of the second as Alika Williams roped a two-out double that scored Gage Workman from first for an early 1-0 lead.
Van Scoyoc stumbled in the third however, allowing RBI base hits to Joey Ortiz, Trey Stine, and Logan Ehnes, along with issuing a bases-loaded walk to Marcus Still making the score 4-1 New Mexico State.
Arizona State answered immediately however, as a Taylor Lane bases-loaded walk, a Hunter Jump bloop single and a Gage Workman hit-by-pitch evened the score at 4-4.
The see-saw affair swung back in favor of New Mexico State in the middle innings, adding a run in the fourth and three in the fifth, highlighted by Ortiz and Stine’s second RBI hits of the evening.
Arizona State would not go quietly however, pulling within 8-7 in the bottom of the seventh courtesy of a Lane RBI single, a Jump RBI double, and a Williams sacrifice fly.
That would be as close as the Sun Devils would get on this night however, as they were retired in order in both the eighth and ninth innings as the Aggies departed Phoenix Municipal Stadium with the lone midweek win.
Player of the Game: Joey Ortiz. The New Mexico State shortstop contributed three hits, two RBI and two runs out of the ninth spot in the order, not to mention a number of solid defensive plays.
Unsung Hero: Hunter Jump. The freshman has seized the left field spot with authority, going 3-5 with two RBI tonight. On the season Jump is 16-40, good for a .400 batting average.
You Knew It Was Over When: Brock Whittlesey recorded the final out of the game on a strikeout looking of Hunter Bishop. Arizona State battled down to their final out, they just couldn’t secure the final big hit of the night.
Stat of the Night: Eight of the nine Sun Devil starters recorded at least one hit, save for Swift who went 0-2 prior to being pinch-hit for in the sixth.
Biggest Concern: Spencer Van Scoyoc still can’t seem to find the form that his coaching staff and teammates know he is capable of, something that has seriously hindered the Sun Devils in 2018.
What’s Up Next?: The Sun Devils will travel north to face the N0. 5 Oregon State Beavers in Corvallis this weekend, with first pitch on Friday scheduled for 5:35 PM
