(Photo: ASU Athletics)
Had the Arizona State baseball team (17-11, 7-4) looked as dominant as the late 1970’s Sun Devil teams on Saturday night, it would have been convenient. After all, the Sun Devils sported 1970 throwback jerseys, and for much of the game, looked like the 1977 team that wore those jerseys en route to winning a National Championship.
It was by no means pretty, conventional or resembling the 1977 squad in its most dominant fashion, but the 2014 Sun Devils persevered for a 10-9, four and a half hour marathon win against the USC Trojans (14-15, 3-8) thanks to a walk-off sacrifice fly from designated hitter RJ Ybarra.
Knotted at nine runs apiece in the bottom of the 11th inning, Ybarra kept his hands back on a slider from USC reliever Kyle Davis and lined the pitch into left field, which allowed right fielder Trever Allen to trot home for the game’s winning run. Ybarra went 3-for-5 with five RBIs on the evening and notched his second game-winning hit in the last seven days.
“I swung at good pitches today for once,” Ybarra said. “Guys getting on base to do their job and their part. It was a great team effort tonight, relentlessly chasing after the win… [My mindset was] just the same as it’s been. Just try to get a ball up and just hit and make solid contact. That’s what I try to do at the plate so it didn’t vary from that.”
Ryan Burr entered the game in the ninth for the Sun Devils, inheriting runners on first and second with a 9-5 lead. The sophomore closer, however, struggled mightily with the command of his fastball. Burr got the second out of the inning on a sac fly from Dante Flores, cutting the Sun Devil lead to three. Seeming destined to snap its four game losing streak in Tempe, USC added a single and two walks to tie the game at 9-9. The blown save was the second in a row for Burr, as he blew an opportunity last night, as well.
Burr’s command was erratic, and he was forced to abandon his fastball in favor of his curve to strike out Trojans first baseman Jeremy Hernandez to end the dreadful ninth inning. At one point, Burr even appeared to be grabbing his leg in pain, which brought the trainer out to the mound. In both regards (lack of command and injury concerns), however, ASU head coach Tim Esmay is not overly concerned about his star closer.
“It’s the first time he has had that all year so sometimes that happens,” Esmay said. “I’ll tell you what, obviously that’s not how you want it to play out, but he made some filthy pitches to keep that game tied. So when the game was really getting away, to do that is part of being a closer. Sometimes it doesn’t go the way you want it, but he still made a big pitch to allow to keep playing.”
“I think Ryan just kind of twisted his ankle a little bit when he was backing up home plate,” Esmay said. “So we’ll see after the adrenaline shuts down and we’ll see where they’re [referring to reliever Jordan Aboites as well, who was hit by a comebacker in the shin] at after treatment.”
While the Sun Devil bullpen struggled mightily, the offense did not.
ASU’s batters wasted little time against the shaky Trojan pitching staff, as they tagged USC starter Bob Wheatley for three runs on six straight hits to start the bottom half of the first inning.
The Sun Devil offense continued its tear throughout the game, as the team combined for a total of 19 hits. Every starter had at least one hit and all but three added at least one RBI. First baseman Nate Causey, left fielder Jake Peevyhouse and right fielder Trever Allen all continued their obliteration of opposing pitching, as well. Allen led the way, going 4-for-6 with a crucial leadoff single to start the 11th inning. Causey had three hits and four runs scored and Peevyhouse added two hits and two RBIs.
Yet as good as the Sun Devil offense was, the Trojans were equally as impressive. USC had 19 hits on the evening, and every time it seemed that ASU had seized control of the game, the Trojans would answer with a big inning of their own.
ASU’s three runs in the first were followed by two USC runs in the third. ASU added three in the third, but USC countered with three in the sixth. A two-out, two strike single from Ybarra in the seventh, propelled ASU to a three-run inning; however, USC matched the Sun Devils with four runs in the ninth.
Nevertheless, a strong all-around team effort ultimately propelled the Sun Devils to their seventh victory in their last eight games.
“It gives us excitement,” Ybarra said. “We have an early morning, back out here tomorrow, but it gives us a lot of excitement and energy because we just won a series, taking two of three early. We still have tomorrow, hopefully [we’ll] go get a sweep… The momentum kind of shifted a bit [with their four-run inning], but this win brings it all back to us for tomorrow.”
While the Sun Devils have now won three consecutive conference series, they will look for their first series sweep of the season tomorrow at 12:30 p.m. Right hander Darin Gillies will take the mound for ASU. USC’s starter has yet to be announced; however, Brent Wheatley is the likely candidate.
Notes
* Johnny Sewald extended his hitting streak to eight straight games with a leadoff single in the third inning.
* After an unlucky Friday night that featured three hits being robbed by phenomenal USC defense, Trever Allen collected four hits on Saturday night. The first was a line drive single into left field after a nine pitch at-bat. The second was a double crushed to the wall in center field that tipped off the glove of Timmy Robinson.
* The defense for the Sun Devils also turned in a performance worthy of praise, committing only one error in 11 innings. Drew Stankiewicz made a full-extension diving play and flipped the ball from his glove to Woodmansee at second base to get the force out and to preserve the one-run ASU lead. The defense then orchestrated a perfectly executed first and third rundown, as Serven threw down to Woodmansee at second base to attempt to throw out Jeremy Martinez. Instead of pursuing Martinez who had stopped three quarters of the way between first and second, Woodmansee wheeled around and threw out Garrett Stubbs at home to preserve the 6-5 lead.
* Sophomore left-hander Ryan Kellogg was in line for his fourth win of the season, despite not having his “A” stuff for the second straight outing. Kellogg threw five innings and allowed four runs on eight hits.
You can reach Jacob Garcia on Twitter @Jake_M_Garcia or via email at Jacob.M.Garcia@asu.edu
