(Photo: Joey Plishka/WCSN)
After an ugly and forgettable series against BYU, Arizona State Baseball looked to refresh as they welcomed in No. 4-ranked Oklahoma State into Tempe for a two-game series on Tuesday night.
Much like that series against the Cougars though, the Sun Devils held a sizeable lead that they let get away from them as they dropped the first game against Oklahoma State 7-5.
“I don’t like losing, they don’t like losing and this program doesn’t like losing,” ASU head coach Willie Bloomquist said. “I understand that.”
The Sun Devils’ bullpen imploded yet again on Tuesday, allowing six runs in two of the last three innings, helping ASU fall to 3-5 on the year in a frustrating fashion.
“We can’t give up free bases, I don’t care if we get lit up around the yard, it’s better than giving up free bases,” Bloomquist said.
Before the game even started, it was announced that sophomore shortstop Hunter Haas will miss four to six weeks with a torn rotator cuff. Freshman infielder Cam Magee took over in Haas’ absence on Tuesday.
Things looked like they would get darker for ASU right away in the first inning.
Sophomore right-handed pitcher Tyler Meyer escaped a major jam in the top of the first after walking the bases loaded. Meyer then induced a ground ball to first base with two outs to end the Oklahoma State scoring threat.
Cowboys sophomore right-handed starting pitcher Victor Mederos encountered trouble of his own in the bottom half of the first inning.
ASU redshirt sophomore center fielder Joe Lampe started the bottom of the first with a leadoff double, however, after attempting to steal third base, Lampe was called out and was slow to get up following the tag.
Lampe went back to the locker room and was diagnosed with a dislocated shoulder, however, it didn’t stop him from returning from the game, as he and doctors popped his shoulder back into place, and the ASU defensive-mastermind returned to play center field.
“I had his name scratched off my lineup card and he told me he’s not coming out of this game,” Bloomquist said. “That’s pretty dang impressive.”
Lampe added: “I never want to quit on these guys. I gotta be dead to take me out of the field.”
With two outs and nobody on base, graduate first baseman Conor Davis hit a towering solo home run over the left field wall to give the Sun Devils a 1-0 lead after Lampe’s injury.
After a shaky first inning from Meyer, the right-handed pitcher settled in nicely with consecutive scoreless innings while picking up three strikeouts.
Davis continued to be the Sun Devils’ hottest hitter in the game and to start 2022 on Tuesday night. In the bottom of the second, Davis hit a ground-rule double down the right-field line after Lampe singled and stole second base. Lampe then crossed home plate with ease, giving the Sun Devils a 2-0 advantage.
“I’m just sticking with my approach, trying to attack early and stay on top of the ball and show the younger guys that, ‘You put pressure on them [and] don’t let them put pressure on you,” Davis said.
Oklahoma State got on the scoreboard in the top of the fourth inning as sophomore third baseman Nolan McLean hit an opposite-field home run over the right field wall, cutting the Sun Devils’ lead to 2-1.
The Sun Devils scraped another run across in the bottom half of the sixth inning after a leadoff double from redshirt sophomore catcher Nate Baez. Redshirt sophomore right-fielder Kai Murphy sharply singled into right field, allowing Baez to score from second and the Sun Devils to take a 3-1 lead.
With Murphy’s RBI base hit, Cowboys starter Victor Mederos was removed from the game. He finished the night allowing nine hits and three runs in 5.0 innings.
Meyer’s night came to an end after pitching six quality innings. He only surrendered four hits and one earned run while striking out four Cowboys.
“I’ve been very comfortable and confident and that’s been giving me some success,” Meyer said.
Bloomquist added: “I think [Tyler] threw the ball outstanding. I can’t say enough. [He] did everything we wanted him to do.”
Redshirt junior right-handed pitcher Will Levine came out of the bullpen to relieve Meyer.
Levine pitched a single scoreless inning in relief, giving up just one walk and picking up a strikeout.
The Sun Devils added another run in the bottom of the seventh, as freshman left fielder Will Rogers singled to left, allowing Baez to score from third and extending the Sun Devils’ lead to 4-1.
Redshirt junior left-handed pitcher Adam Tulloch came in for relief in the top half of the eight and faced a major jam with a three-run lead.
After a fielding error and back-to-back walks, Tulloch loaded the bases and left the game without recording a single out.
Junior right-handed pitcher Chase Webster relived Tulloch to try and limit the bleeding and preserve the lead for ASU.
Webster did just the opposite though, as Cowboys’ junior outfielder Marcus Brown cleared the bases with a three-run double to tie the game at four.
With the bases loaded again for Oklahoma State outfielder Jaxson Crull, the sophomore sharply singled into left field, plating Brown and giving the Cowboys a 5-4 lead.
With the bases still loaded and only one out on the board, redshirt sophomore right-handed pitcher Christian Bodlovich came in and induced a pop out to the right field. Then, with two outs, he struck out the final batter of the inning, giving the Sun Devils only a one-run deficit to work with.
ASU missed a perhaps golden opportunity to tie or take the lead in the bottom of the eighth.
With two runners on and one out, Oklahoma State sophomore right-handed pitcher Trevor Martin struck out Davis and freshman designated hitter Jacob Tobias to end the Sun Devils’ scoring threat.
Bodlovich encountered more trouble in the top of the ninth, as he allowed two consecutive base hits and after a fielding error, the Cowboys had runners on the corners with one out as they looked for more insurance runs.
Sophomore right-handed pitcher Brock Peery came in to relieve Bodlovich and attempt to preserve the Sun Devils’ one-run deficit.
Peery allowed a base hit to right field, which allowed Oklahoma State to tack on another run and start to take control, leading 6-4.
After a sharply hit ball to first base, Brown was able to score on a fielder’s choice and extend the Cowboys’ lead to 7-4 going into the bottom of the ninth.
The Sun Devils added a run after a wild pitch allowed Baez to score from third to trim the Oklahoma State lead to 7-5.
With the Sun Devils down to their final out and runners on first and second base, Lampe flew out to left-center field to end the game.
Despite the tough loss, a positive mindset seems to be flowing through the ASU locker room. The Sun Devils will look to take what was an at times promising performance on Tuesday night and carry that over to Wednesday, where first pitch for the second game of the series will take place at 1:00 p.m. MST.
“I couldn’t be prouder of the way this team fought tonight,” Bloomquist said.
