ASU Baseball: Devils Fail to Sweep Cal State Bakersfield

ASU baseball (18-20) could not finish off the sweep against Cal State Bakersfield (20-15) after an 8-6 loss Sunday in Phoenix.

The Sun Devils mounted a strong comeback in the sixth inning, scoring five runs to tie the game after CSUB had done the same in the top half.

The Devils got an RBI single from left fielder Ryan Lillard and a sac fly from shortstop Carter Aldrete to put themselves within three.

Two batters later, designated hitter Hunter Bishop answered the call blasting a 3-run shot over the right field scoreboard.

Little mistakes though cost ASU heavily, most noticeably on the base paths.

In their five-run sixth inning, Lyle Lin got thrown out by a mile at third, and would have later been knocked in.

That extra RBI never came, and ASU could only even it up in the sixth.

The Roadrunners came back, and got to pitcher Reagan Todd, who gave up a run in the seventh and eighth innings.

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“You go out and get the big one like that, you’ve got to shut it down the next inning,” ASU head coach Tracy “Skip” Smith said. “And I just think from an emotional standpoint, we fight back, we get down, we fight back, and then we give it up, and its been that story all year long.”

Mistakes on the bases cost ASU again in the ninth, after Bishop got on base, second baseman Taylor Lane lined out to right, but instead of tagging up, Bishop went for third and the Roadrunners had an easy double play to end the game.

“The frustrating part is not giving yourself a chance,” Smith said. “Because we have been swinging the bat fairly fell, we’ve got Tyler Williams on deck leading the team in home runs and to take ourselves out of that position to even give him an opportunity is inexcusable.”

Arizona State have pulled off spectacular comebacks and finished games in unbelievable fashion.

Sunday was setting up for more of the same, but a little league mistake didn’t allow them to even have a chance.

“That’s just not understanding the game. The last one, no excuse for that, but the situation of the game,” Skip said. “Just understanding the game, your down two runs, your run means absolutely nothing, and to get doubled off in a situation like that is inexcusable.”

Although their poor decision-making on the bases may have hurt them, the pitching ultimately plagued the Sun Devils.

Starter Eder Erives has come out of the bullpen most of the season for ASU, and in his third start of the season, he had a solid start in five innings of work giving up just four runs on six hits.

It was the bullpen that had the majority of the trouble.

In the sixth, Ryan Hingst came in and allowed two runs while only getting one out.

Hingst left the game and put the third of ASU’s five pitchers Sunday, Sam Ferri, in a bad position with two runners on.

Ferri, who is typically a catcher, made his first pitching appearance for the Sun Devils.

“We’ve been really inconsistent in the middle and back end, pitching wise all season,” Smith said. “He pitched in high school, and with his wrist situation right now we’ve got one of our more competitive kids, better kids just sitting around because he can’t do anything.”

Ferri was a closer in high school and has a low-90’s fastball. He pitched in a few simulated games for the Devils, but was thrusted into a tough situation on Sunday.

He allowed the two runners he inherited to score, but got out of the brutal sixth inning in his first outing.

It was a tough game all around for Arizona State, making mistakes on both sides of the game.

But as far as the series goes, they took two of three from an above .500 baseball team looking sharp in their first two games, with two solid starters.

“The development part of it, its coming. I think you’re seeing some of the offensive stuff, its coming,” Skip said. “I think the instinct piece is one of the biggest things that I think we’re lacking in our younger guys, its just understanding how to play, that going to come in time.”

Next: ASU Baseball: Strong Start by Lingos Helps Carry Devils Past CSU Bakersfield

ASU will start back up Pac-12 play next weekend as they travel to Eugene and take on the Oregon Ducks.