(Photo: Nick Badders/WCSN)
In what was expected to be a heavy offensive battle between two of the top hitters in the nation, the pitching on both sides brought their “A” game all the way until the end on Tuesday night. Coming in, both Spencer Torkelson and New Mexico State infielder Nick Gonzales were expected to produce fireworks at the plate.
Gonzales came in sporting a .571 average with seven home runs and 26 RBI while Torkelson had a .333 average with four homers and four RBI while also drawing a nation-leading 13 walks. Aside from Gonzales, the rest of the Aggies offense came in with a combined .366 average which is good for second in the country.
Sophomore Erik Tolman took the mound for the No. 12 Devils after an impressive start last Tuesday where he struck out 12 in six innings of work against the Oklahoma State Cowboys. Tolman provided much of the same in his second start against the Aggies where he faced off against junior left-hander Frank Dickson Jr..
Dickson Jr. ended up departing the game after two innings pitched but not before allowing the Devils to crack the scoreboard. Gage Workman came to the plate in the bottom half of the first with two outs and drove an RBI single to right field. Workman’s RBI proved to be the only offensive production the Sun Devils had until the bottom of the seventh as the bats were sterilized all game by the Aggies staff.
Alex Pinedo came in replacing Dickson Jr. and tossed two scores innings while striking out four. Pindeo was one of New Mexico State’s most effective arms in 2018 where he went 5-3 with a 3.34 ERA in 70 innings of work. Aldo Fernandez followed up with three solid innings of work as well where he only allowed one run and punched out five.
Tolman held the Aggies scoreless in all 5.1 innings that he pitched, striking out eight while only allowing one hit. His ERA currently sits at 1.59, and he’s also punched out a team-high 20 batters.
“My goal was to just get ahead,” said Tolman. “Honestly I just want contact, and then the strikeouts will come.”
The Devils were able tack on a second run in the seventh courtesy of a Trevor Hauver RBI single in the seventh that drove in Alika Williams, extending the ASU lead to 2-0.
Hauver would end up driving in a run on a sac fly in the eighth as well but not before the Aggies would spoil Tolman’s masterful start. Senior right fielder Daniel Head drove a pinch hit RBI double into the right field gap which was later followed up by a pinch hit two-run double from catcher Jason Bush to give NMSU the 3-2 lead heading into the bottom half of the eighth.
The Sun Devils would respond in the bottom half after Williams tripled home two runs before Hauver’s aforementioned sac fly which helped them reclaim the lead. Williams came into the game struggling with a .125 average but went 2-for-6 in the winning effort.
“I realized just gotta stay positive,” said Williams. “Tonight, I was able to really put that to work.”
Standout closer RJ Dabovich came in to try to shut the door in the ninth and go 5-for-5 in save opportunities. The Aggies were quick to give Dabovich a run for his money and later tied the game at five on error by Torkelson at first after an incredible play at short by Williams.
“Unbelievable play by [Williams] to even give us a chance,” said Smith. “Spencer would probably say he’d catch that 99 out of 100 times.”
Dabovich not only blew his first save of the season, but he also gave up his first runs on the year as well.
Pitching continued to keep either team off the scoreboard until the bottom of the tenth when ASU loaded the bases with one out sending Trevor Hauver to the plate. Hauver was 0-for-4 in bases loaded situations on the season, and it stayed that way after he drew a bases loaded walk to give the Devils the 6-5 walk-off win.
“I was proud of the way the guys battled back,” head coach Tracy Smith said. “Even after a couple miscues there late.”
Sun Devil hitters successfully reached base 10 times off of walks, and Torkelson tied the ASU single-game record for walks with five. The last to do that was current Arizona Diamondbacks outfielder Kole Calhoun.
“I would walk him to,” said Williams. “He’s the best hitter in the nation, and I understand what they were doing.”
The Sun Devils will look to extend their four game winning streak in a weekend series against the Nebraska Cornhuskers that starts this Friday.
