Sun Devils Click in All Phases in Game 2 win over Loyola Marymount

(Photo: Connor Gleason/WCSN)

PHOENIX – The game was decided well before Arizona State sophomore outfielder Landon Hairston stepped to the plate in the bottom of the seventh inning. The Sun Devils led 6-0 and had just had their most successful inning of the game. That did not stop Hairston from trying to make his own impact on the game.

The first baseman took the biggest swing of his career and took a piece of Phoenix history with it. Hairston drove the 2-0 pitch over the center field wall and 461 feet from home plate. His home run was the second-longest in the history of Phoenix Municipal Stadium.

The long bomb was a luxury in Arizona State’s 9-1 home victory over Loyola Marymount (5-12) that was never close. On Saturday, the Sun Devils (10-4) were the more successful team in all facets of the game.

Hairston showcased the speed typical of a leadoff batter when he stole second enroute to the first run of the game, but it is his power that ASU coach Willie Bloomquist believes in.

“The power is in there with him,” Bloomquist said. “I’ve been saying it all along, that kid, he’s a great hitter. He is getting more physical and the older he gets, the more he is going to mature and get more physical. Then the power is going to come naturally.”

Dean Toigo and Dominic Longo joined Hairston in the home run club. Longo made the most of his only hit, scoring a solo shot at a time when the Sun Devils were struggling to generate consistent offense.

When Longo hit his homer in the third inning, ASU had just two hits and was struggling to put the ball into play. That total later jumped to eleven hits after Longo provided the spark.

Toigo did his part to generate offense, hitting the first home run of the game in the second inning. He later added an RBI single and scored in the sixth inning. That was the Sun Devils’ best outing as five batters had hits, scoring three runs.

Toigo said his trust in the abilities of his teammates gives him confidence to play freely.

“I think it is important to realize that we have like 14 guys, 15 guys in our lineup that can really do damage,” Toigo said. “So, it is just trusting each other and not stepping into the box with runners on and thinking anything differently than if you are leading off an inning.”

Those hitters came aplenty for ASU. Nu’u Contrades found holes in the outfield, giving him two doubles in four at-bats. The redshirt junior is one of Bloomquist’s only mainstays in a talented lineup that often shifts around.

Beckett Zavorek and Garrett Michel each added extra basehits in that dominant sixth inning. Michel’s ground-rule double was initially called a home run but was overturned. Toigo’s single brought him in before Zavorek hit a triple that comfortably beat the tag.

Despite the productive day, Bloomquist stressed the importance of improvement in small-ball situations.

“You are not always going to be able to run into stuff and hit homers,” Bloomquist said. “That might be nice every now and again, but put guys on base and then stay with the approach to the middle of the field and good things happen.”

Despite the lack of base hits, the Sun Devils’ offense was more than enough in a game where they kept the Lions scoreless through eight innings.

Alex Overbay made his first start for ASU. When Bloomquist recruited the junior, he saw his potential to add new pitches and become more than just a reliever. On Saturday, that plan came to fruition.

“He did exactly what he was supposed to do,” Bloomquist said. “Threw the ball really well, pounded the strike zone, and had a couple of walks. At the end of the day, threw the ball really, really well.”

Bloomquist called his first four innings “electric” before he pulled him after surpassing his 60-pitch count. Overbay said he achieved his goal of starting and expects to build up to a longer leash in the future. Now that he has experience in and out of the bullpen, the right-handed pitcher said the two spots are marginally different.

“It is just facing matters more than one time out,” Overbay said. “In the past, it has just been one or two innings and facing each batter probably once. Having that third pitch is just another weapon, or even four pitches is just next level.”

In the opposite dugout, Adam Behrens started his seventh game with the Sun Devils, but this time he donned a Lions jersey. After transferring to Loyola Marymount in 2024, the redshirt sophomore made his first start against his former team on Saturday.

He saw moderate success. Behrens pitched 5.1 innings but allowed five runs. Bloomquist praised the talents and character of his former recruit and wished him the best.

Despite the friendly face, it was all business for the Sun Devils. They will attempt to finish the weekend sweep over the Lions on Sunday.