(Photo: Marlee Smith/WCSN)
After splitting its mid-week series with cross-town rival Grand Canyon, Arizona State Baseball kicked off its four-game road weekend series with a Friday night bout against Utah.
After using a dozen pitchers in the final game against GCU, the Sun Devils were still looking to salvage any stamina for their overworked pitching staff. Redshirt sophomore righty Tyler Thornton, who was roughed up in his previous start against Stanford, took the hill in an attempt to set the tone for the weekend.
While Thornton wasn’t his best, the Sun Devils found a way to win thanks to timely offense and a bounce-back game from the bullpen by a score of 5-4.
The Utes had their own plans pitching-wise. In what was a bullpen game from the start, redshirt sophomore right-hander Zac McCleve went the first time through the Sun Devils’ order without allowing a run before redshirt junior right-hander Justin Kelly, who has started nine games this season for Utah, replaced him in the third inning.
Utah’s offense tacked on two runs in the early innings. Graduate center fielder Jaylon McLaughlin bounced a ball that managed to float over the head of ASU freshman third baseman Hunter Haas for an RBI single. McLaughlin’s hit got the scoring started in the second inning.
Redshirt junior right fielder Shea Kramer added on a run in the third with another RBI single to right field, making it 2-0 Utes.
Thornton’s struggles continued during his start on Friday, as he had trouble with command and fell into some lengthy battles against Utah hitters who drove his pitch count up to 95 in just 4.1 innings. Across his last 18.1 innings pitched, Thornton has walked 14 batters while only striking out 16. He issued four free passes on Friday alone.
Utah added another run once ASU freshman right-hander Brock Peery took over in the fourth inning, as Kramer recorded his second RBI single of the evening.
The Utes’ lead was short-lived, which was perhaps unsurprising considering how well the Sun Devils’ offense has performed over the past week. It started with redshirt junior left fielder Hunter Jump, who got the Sun Devils on the board with an RBI knock in the fifth inning.
ASU claimed the lead the following inning on a trio of run-scoring singles from redshirt freshmen outfielders Kai Murphy and Joe Lampe before redshirt junior shortstop Drew Swift added another to make it 4-3 Sun Devils.
Once again, Utah found a way to grab another run on a single from redshirt sophomore catcher Jayden Kiernan to tie the game in the bottom half of the sixth inning.
Pitching and defense took over in the late innings, as both teams were held scoreless through the eighth. Fresh off some much needed rest, redshirt freshmen right-hander Cam Dennie and redshirt freshman left-hander Graham Osman worked a combined 2.2 scoreless innings before turning things over to redshirt sophomore right-hander Will Levine in the ninth.
The big hit the Sun Devils needed came in the ninth inning with two outs after Jump and redshirt freshman second baseman Sean McLain struck out to start the frame. Freshman designated hitter Ethan Long showed off his clutch and opposite-field power with a game-winning solo home run, giving ASU a 5-4 lead heading into the final act for Utah.
Levine came in and shut the door to secure the Sun Devils the victory in the bottom half, striking out two in the process.
In a lineup full of hot hitters, no one appeared as locked-in as ASU freshman first baseman Jack Moss on Friday, who tallied a career-high four hits, three of which gained extra-bases.
The Sun Devils are now 4-0 against the Utes this season and will look to claim the series victory on Saturday afternoon with redshirt junior left-handed pitcher Justin Fall set to make the start for ASU.
