Explosive Offense helps ASU defeat Santa Clara in high-scoring affair

(Photo: Marina Williams/WCSN)

PHOENIX — On the backs of a high powered Sun Devil offense, ASU baseball scraped out a win in a dogfight with Santa Clara at home.

ASU followed up an opening day win over the Broncos — where it scored 11 runs — with a 14-13 victory on Saturday, but that doesn’t tell the whole story.

“The importance of staying resilient offensively, no lead is safe ever, especially here at Muni,” head coach Willie Bloomquist said. “You have to score, and keep scoring. When you have a lead you can’t let up.”

Sophomore outfielder Isaiah Jackson kicked off the scoring on Saturday afternoon with a two RBI single in the bottom of the first inning. With ASU’s Friday performance still in mind and a 1-2-3 top half of the inning from senior starter Connor Markl, it seemed like the Sun Devils could dominate the Broncos with ease once again. That was far from the truth.

In the top of the second, Markl gave up four earned runs, including an RBI double to JonJon Berring who homered twice in Friday’s matchup. With a 4-2 lead for Santa Clara, it was becoming clear that the team with the most offense would likely come away with the win.

Fortunately for Sun Devil fans, ASU was seeing pitches in slow motion at the plate as Jackson recorded two more RBIs in the third. Redshirt freshman Brandon Compton also joined in on the fun with a two-RBI double. Compton’s double was followed by walks from senior Steven Ondina and senior Harris Williams, setting up a bases loaded situation for Nu’u Contrades. Contrades saw the pitch he liked and took junior relief pitcher Blake Hammond to deep right center for a grand slam to cap off an eight-run inning.

“I think we just know we are a really good offensive team and our pitchers understand that, so they’re just going to go in there and pound the zone,” Jackson said. “If they give up a couple runs oh well, we can go get them back.”

Markl’s day on the mound ended after giving up one run with two outs in the fourth. ASU’s now 10-5 lead would be tested as the Broncos chipped away in the following innings. What didn’t help the Sun Devils was the untimely errors that resulted in extra opportunities for Santa Clara.

“We just need to handle the baseball,” Contrades said. “I made a couple throwing errors, so I just need to be better. Just need to stay on my feet more and handle the baseball better.”

Through innings five, six and seven, three ASU relievers combined for seven runs on nine hits, allowing Santa Clara to climb up to 13 runs on the day. However, the Sun Devils mustered some of their own offense own to respond, all coming by way of the long ball.

ASU entered the bottom of the sixth inning facing their first deficit of the ball game,, down 12-11. Junior first baseman Jacob Tobias didn’t let that last long as he went deep on Hammond. Then in the biggest moment of the game, Jackson continued his tear on Broncos pitching by hitting a two run bomb to deep right, leaving the ballpark. He finished the day with three hits and six RBIs.

“He’s doing outstanding, that’s what he’s capable of when he’s aggressive and stays balanced,” Bloomquist said. “He can clearly hit the ball a long way and it’s fun to watch him break out a little offensively.”

Santa Clara managed to tack on one more in the seventh but ASU’s pitching showed up when it needed to, as senior RHP Hunter Omlid and freshman closer Cole Carlon shut down the eighth and ninth. After a wild offensive shootout, ASU secured the 14-13 win.

“I’m just aggressive, try to do whatever I can to get that hitter out, don’t want to let him beat me,” Carlon said after recording his first save.

ASU will wrap up the weekend series on Sunday afternoon with redshirt sophomore Tyler Meyer on the bump.