(Photo: Marlee Smith/WCSN)
Arizona State baseball started off its rubber match with Oregon looking aggressive and ready to take its first Pac-12 series of the season on Sunday.
Redshirt junior shortstop Drew Swift started the game out with a walk. Freshman third baseman Hunter Haas then singled, and the Sun Devils quickly had runners at the corners.
After redshirt freshman second baseman Sean McLain struck out, Haas was able to steal second after Oregon freshman catcher Jack Scanlon threw it behind and far over the head of the second baseman. The throwing error from Scanlon allowed Swift to score. Following that, a sac fly by freshman first baseman Ethan Long scored Haas, and the Sun Devils looked to be rolling with an early 2-0 lead.
But after a strong first inning, the bats would go quiet for six straight scoreless innings.
During that time, Oregon capitalized with runs of their own. ASU showed glimpses of offense throughout the game, but it would never quite threaten the Ducks, who took the series victory with a 5-3 win at PK Park.
Redshirt junior left-hander Justin Fall earned the start for the Sun Devils, and ran into a few jams during his five innings of work. However, Fall was able to limit the damage by only allowing two runs. Redshirt senior catcher Sam Ferri was responsible for giving up another run with a passed ball.
The Ducks’ pitching staff did a solid job of limiting ASU’s bats after the first inning. Oregon starting pitcher and junior right-hander Brett Walker went five strong and Oregon only used two other pitchers the rest of the way.
Throughout the game, Oregon continued to gradually expand their lead, but not in the traditional way. To go along with the passed ball, the Ducks scored off of a double play, fielder’s choice and a sacrifice fly.
Entering the eighth inning, Oregon clung to a 4-2 lead, but the Sun Devils were not done yet. Redshirt junior designated hitter Hunter Jump woke the bats up with a ground rule double to right field to start the inning off. Two at-bats later, Jump would score off of a Long sacrifice fly to cut the deficit to one run.
Long led the Sun Devils going 2-3 with two RBI.
ASU could not build off of the momentum, with redshirt freshman right fielder Kai Murphy striking out swinging to end the inning soon after.
Oregon added an insurance run in the bottom half and was able to comfortably seize the win in the ninth.
After losing its first Pac-12 series, ASU now falls to 12-5 and will head back to Phoenix to face Washington State next weekend in a three-game set.
