Arizona State was unable to get the series sweep over Oklahoma State, falling to the Cowboys, 9-8.
The Cowboys’ offense exploded in the third inning, tallying six runs off Sun Devil starter Darin Gillies and reliever Eder Erives.
ASU, however, showed resiliency and spent the majority of the game clawing back from that early deficit.
“We didn’t quit,” ASU head coach Tracy Smith said, “It wasn’t pretty today, particularly from a pitching standpoint.”
At first, this game looked like a pitcher’s duel after Gillies got off to a hot start by striking out the side in the first inning and two more in the second.
However, Gillies’ good start wouldn’t last long. Following Gillies hitting two batters, Cowboys’ second baseman Tim Arakawa doubled to right field, which scored Corey Hassel to give the Cowboys a 1-0 lead.
With Gillies relieved, Eder Erives didn’t fare much better, as he walked Jon Littell to load the bases. Kevin Bradley’s sacrifice fly to center scored Costello from third and put the Cowboys’ fourth run on the board. The Cowboys would increase their lead to 6-0 with a Ryan Sluder double to left that scored Littell and Williams.
ASU got on the board in the fourth with an Ybarra solo shot to left field. The comeback effort was further aided by David Greer reaching first base on an error that scored Coltin Gerhart. Zach Cerbo reached on a fielder’s choice that scored Colby Woodmansee, making the score 6-3 OSU after four.
But as was the case the entire after afternoon, just as ASU regained the momentum, OSU took it right in the fifth back, as a two-run home run from Bradley pushed the OSU lead to 8-3.
Perhaps the most fate-deciding moment of game three for ASU, though, was a play at the plate in the fifth inning. Left fielder Jake Peevyhouse had cut the deficit to 8-5 with a two-RBI double, but was later narrowly tagged out at home, trying to score on a passed ball.
“What I believe I saw is that he got his hand in and he missed him and the catcher went back a couple times to tag him,” Smith said. “It’s a judgement call, tough, things are happening very quickly for everybody out there and the call didn’t go our way that time.”
The Sun Devils would continue to claw away at the deficit, and eventually cut it to one courtesy of a Colby Woodmansee bomb to left field (his second home run of the series).
Nevertheless, the furious rally came up short and the Sun Devils had to settle with a two-of-three series win over the fifth-ranked Cowboys.
ASU will host Oklahoma in a midweek matchup on Wednesday before welcoming No. 3 TCU to Phoenix Muni for a three-game weekend series.
