(Photo: Paige Cook/WCSN)
Redshirt sophomore outfielder Joe Lampe stood at second base, his cleats driven into the dirt, ready to explode on contact. A deep ball to center field for an easy flyout seemed to kill those aspirations, but Lampe, regardless, tagged to get to third.
However, Lampe wasn’t satisfied with just advancing to third. He had sights set for home plate.
Not for a second did Lampe think that holding up at third was an option as he sprinted towards home, determined to add a run for Arizona State Baseball in its tense, Territorial Cup rivalry contest against Arizona on Saturday. The beauty in Lampe’s running technique made the 180-foot sprint look effortless.
After an awkward slide, Lampe beat the throw and added a run via the sacrifice fly from second base.
The Sun Devil dugout and Lampe exploded with excitement following his effort, which after Friday night’s heartbreaking walk-off loss, knew was needed if ASU were to salvage this series. The Sun Devils’ gutsy and passionate play tied the in-state series at one a piece with an 8-5 win.
Despite an impressive four-hit performance by Arizona’s junior outfielder Tanner O’Tremba, including a double and a homer, ASU stayed the course and controlled throughout the game. Stellar pitching and timely offense by the Sun Devils showed a mature club that knew they needed this one.
ASU, motivated after last night’s loss, came out of the gates aggressive, and Lampe was at the forefront of the charge, opening the game with a single. Then, some intelligent baserunning later saw the redshirt sophomore at third base.
The Sun Devils couldn’t capitalize with an early runner in scoring position but didn’t let the failed attempt discourage them in the next frame.
The second inning began with a walk for ASU, but then the fireworks would come in the form of two separate RBI singles from redshirt sophomore right fielder Kai Murphy and sophomore infielder Hunter Haas, giving the club an early 3-0 lead. This is Haas’s second game back after a partially torn rotator cuff saw the sophomore out for months, but he has already made his impact felt in his return to the lineup.
Arizona had sophomore right-hander Chandler Murphy on the mound to face off against ASU for the second time this year. Murphy’s first start on April 5 saw the Sun Devils dominate, scoring three runs on five hits in only two innings of work, and his Saturday stint started similarly with three runs on three hits through two innings.
The offensive success against Murphy would continue on ASU’s side of third as a two-out, RBI double from redshirt sophomore infielder Nate Baez extended the team’s lead 4-0. The Sun Devils found success with two outs, hitting 7-for-16.
Last night, ASU found itself on the losing side of a 4-0 ballgame before storming back to take the lead later in the game.
However, Arizona couldn’t respond as ASU had because redshirt junior right-hander Kyle Luckham was locked-in throughout, shutting down all opposing at-bats. Luckham used the Wildcats’ aggressive play style against them by causing weak contact for groundouts.
The first six outs for the righty were groundouts with great plays by redshirt sophomore infielder Sean McLain early on.
Luckham showed complete control of the zone and the mound, a contrasting performance by the opposing arms. The Wildcats had a pitching change in the fourth inning but experienced the same problems with a lack of control.
A wild pitch and a hit batter saw ASU with two runners on when Lampe would showcase his unearthly speed. Freshman catcher Ryan Campos didn’t wait long to tack on an RBI single to end the fourth with ASU up 6-0.
Luckham would face some turbulence in the fifth after some close non-strike calls would fuel a three-run frame, highlighted by Friday’s walk-off hero for the Wildcats, sophomore outfielder Chase Davis’ RBI double, cutting the deficit down to 6-3. The ASU right-hander made it through the inning and, despite the surge by Arizona, was still impressive, going five frames while allowing nine hits and three earned runs with two strikeouts.
The Sun Devils wouldn’t be shaken by the Wildcats’ offensive success, as they stayed calm and continued to attack. Arizona’s lack of control on the mound seemed to transfer to the infield as a fielding error allowed ASU runners on first and second in the seventh inning, which they wouldn’t let go to waste.
A groundout and flyout by Lampe and McLain tacked on two more runs for the Sun Devils to extend the team’s lead 8-3. Smart baseball and unselfish at-bats – the motto that head coach Willie Bloomquist has wanted to see out of the club all season – shined bright to keep ASU in control.
Arizona would try to respond in the subsequent two frames with an RBI triple in the bottom half of the seventh and a moonshot solo homer from O’Tremba in the eighth, making the game competitive at 8-5. However, the Sun Devil arms continued to keep control of their emotions, not letting those scoring opportunities affect their play.
Redshirt junior right-hander Will Levine kept the ship sailing after Luckham before giving the rock to ASU’s closer, sophomore right-hander Brock Peery, in the bottom of the eighth. Peery would continue his hot streak and get the four-out save to secure the Sun Devils’ 8-5 win for his seventh save of the year.
ASU played a near-perfect game, from the bats keeping up their impressive production, and the bullpen continuing to stack up consistently solid outings. The Sun Devils tied the series in a game that highlighted the best that this club could do.
They looked to steal the series finale and Bloomquist’s first territorial cup in his coaching career on Sunday.
