(Photo: Susan Wong/WCSN)
Arizona State Baseball (7-2) won its fifth straight game on Saturday, defeating Utah 4-1 in the second game of a non-conference series.
“Kind of a hard fought battle there, guys stepping up much like last night [by] making pitches and making the plays we needed to win,” ASU Head Coach Tracy Smith said.
Redshirt freshman right-handed pitcher Christian Bodlovich inherited a bases-loaded, two out jam in the top of the seventh inning with the Sun Devils up 3-1. The second pitch he threw was drilled into the left-center field gap by Utah sophomore catcher Jayden Kiernan, but redshirt freshman outfielder Joe Lampe made a diving catch, potentially saving the game for ASU.
“That was the game,” Smith said. “That took the momentum out of the other dugout. It was a great play and is a result of doing the scouting report [and] moving guys over and it was Joe doing a phenomenal job making that catch.
“I’ve got a lot of trust in the guys behind me and obviously it showed because Lampe showed up and made a huge play,” Bodlovich said.
Redshirt freshman infielder Sean McLain, who was supposed to be ASU’s starting center-fielder last season, agreed with his pitcher and coach.
“When you play that 2 p.m. game, the sun is tough and it was impressive to see him make that play,” McLain said. “Joe is one of the best center fielders I’ve seen play. The kid can play and I like him out there.”
Redshirt sophomore left-hander Erik Tolman made his third start of the season after struggling last week against Hawaii. Tolman would go five innings, allowing four hits and striking out five batters. Smith said he was pulled earlier than expected due to fatigue.
McLain got the scoring started early for ASU with a two-run home run into the Utah bullpen in left field, which was his first of the season. Freshman two-way player Ethan Long preceded that with a leadoff single to start the bottom of the second inning.
“I had pulled a curveball and a changeup earlier in the at-bat and he went back to the changeup and I was able to put a good swing on it and it went over the left field wall,” McLain said.
ASU had the bases loaded in the bottom of the fourth inning, but a second pitch flyout by redshirt junior outfielder Allbry Major and a groundout by redshirt senior catcher Nick Cheema ended the rally.
The Sun Devils added to their lead in the sixth inning but watched another golden opportunity slip away. After walks from Long and redshirt freshman infielder Brian Kalmer put ASU in business, McLain and redshirt freshman outfielder Kai Murphy made outs after Murphy pinch hit for Major. Freshman infielder Blake Pivaroff came off the bench to contribute a pinch hit single, which brought home Long to make it 3-1.
With runners at first-base and second-base and two outs on the board, Lampe pinch-ran for Pivaroff and stole second easily, but redshirt sophomore outfielder Vinny Tosti, who was in the game running for Kalmer, was caught a little too far off third base and was thrown out heading home, ending the inning.
“We’ve got to do a better job of coaching there,” Smith said. “We need to read that situation better and so it’s not his fault, it was more our fault.”
ASU added an insurance run after freshman infielder Hunter Haas and redshirt junior outfielder Hunter Jump doubled in back-to-back at-bats, extending the lead to 4-1.
The Sun Devils’ bullpen struggled a bit in Saturday’s contest. Freshman right-handed pitcher Brock Peery and redshirt freshman left-hander Graham Osman did not have their best stuff as Peery got just one out. Osman walked two batters without getting an out before Bodlovich came on to close the game.
Twenty different players saw the field in Saturday’s contest, which McLain said spoke to the depth of ASU’s roster.
“You could almost put 25 guys in,” McLain said. “From the pitching staff to the offensive guys, we’re deep this year. You look at guys like Blake Pivaroff, who’s 4-4 in four pinch-hits, and I’m excited to see what we’ve got coming in here in the next few weeks.”
The Sun Devils will go for the sweep against the Utes and their sixth straight win on Sunday afternoon. Smith said there has not yet been a decision on who will start that game, as injuries to redshirt junior right-hander Boyd Vander Kooi and redshirt freshman left-hander Cooper Benson have complicated ASU’s options on the mound.
