(Photo: Kimmy Davis/WCSN)
Sometimes a fast start is all you need.
No. 5 Arizona State (27-11) used a fast start to hang on and defeat Tennessee Tech (19-20) by a 6-3 score and take the first game of this three game series.
The Sun Devils scored five runs in the first two innings, but could not replicate their offensive success for the rest of the game.
Luckily for the Sun Devils, their pitching was dominant. Even when TTU put up three runs in the fifth, it never felt like the game was ever in doubt and it was clear that ASU’s pitching was good enough to carry the team on an average night for the Sun Devil hitters.
As for specific performances, Sun Devil starting pitcher Seth Martinez had an odd outing – giving up just one hit through his first four innings. Then the sophomore allowed three runs in the fifth, even though he was charged with just one earned run.
“Maybe I’m too critical,” Head Coach Tracy Smith said. “I’m looking at it maybe with a little bit different eyes, as the execution of certain pitches and certain situations that, maybe, we don’t get away with that against UCLA or USC. So to his credit, I gotta give him credit, five innings, one earned run, six strikeouts and one walk, well I’ll take that any day of the week.”
The performance is encouraging after Martinez’s last two starts allowed three and six earned runs.
“Because he doesn’t have the velocity as some of our other guys, he’s very effective when he’s down at the knees, and the stat sheet wouldn’t indicate it, but there were a lot of balls elevated tonight and that’s kind of what we’re saying.” His skipper said.
“But he still proves to be effective, I’m looking at it and he’s got a 3.3 ERA as a Pac-12 pitcher on Friday night, not bad.”
But the real star was reliever Eder Erives who pitched a career high of 3.2 innings of shutout baseball, as well as collecting four strikeouts and just two hits.
“That’s what we are looking for,” Smith said. “He comes in, he’s throwing fastball strikes, he’s throwing his breaking ball for a strike, he’s throwing his changeup for a strike, you know what you are getting…That’s good to know as we head into more conference weekends.”
Shortstop Colby Woodmansee led the ASU offense with three hits, one run, and three runs batted in. Junior Johnny Sewald had two hits, one run, and one run batted in.
The Sun Devils quickly jumped on the Golden Eagles in the first inning. After Sewald and Jake Peevyhouse both reached base, Woodmansee cranked an RBI single to left field. Peevyhouse and Woodmansee would both be brought home by consecutive groundouts from Brian Serven and David Greer would put ASU up 3-0 after one inning.
TTU starting pitcher Chris Chism’s misery from the mound continued in the second as he gave up two quick singles to Zach Cerbo and Andrew Snow. Then came the top of the order for the Sun Devils, where Sewald and Woodmansee each hit RBI singles to left, extending the ASU lead to 5-0.
However, the Golden Eagles clawed their way back in the top of the fifth, thanks to a sharply hit RBI single to center from Anthony El Chibani. TTU would add on two runs with consecutive RBI singles form David Allen and Dylan Bosheers to cut the ASU lead to 5-3.
After the rough inning from Martinez, ASU reliever Eder Erives threw two innings of 1-2-3 baseball to preserve the 5-3 lead. Even when the Golden Eagles put two runners on base in the eighth, Erives still managed to get out of the inning to keep TTU off the board.
“It’s just going out there and just pitching,” Erives said. “I don’t know if I’m going to go in there for an inning, I don’t know if I’m going to go in there for more than one inning, but just taking it an inning at a time, going out there, executing pitches and just doing your job, and if they keep extending then they keep extending. But I just go out there and pitch basically.”
ASU tacked on an insurance run in the eighth with a Woodmansee blooper single to center that scored Peevyhouse and gave the Sun Devils a 6-3 advantage.
Despite allowing an early single from TTU batter Jake Farr, Erives would record two more outs before being relieved by Eric Melbostad. Melbostad was not spectacular, as he allowed two more Golden Eagles to get on base, but he induced a Bosheers groundout to secure the 6-3 win.
“Everybody wants to finish the game, but I mean it’s a decision that the head coach is doing and I respect all the decisions that skip makes and we know it was a good decision, we got the win, that’s all that matters” Erives said. “Melbo came in and did a great job getting that out.”
Arizona State will play its second game against Tennessee Tech on Saturday at 6:30, with Ryan Kellogg taking the mound.
