ASU Baseball: Pac-12 Swoon Continues in Rainy California
By Alec Henden
ASU Baseball continues to struggle during Pac-12 play dropping the Friday night series opener against California 9-6 and dropping their record to 12-16.
ASU baseball ace Eli Lingos couldn’t escape the first inning due to both struggles on the mound and an illness he suffered through this week.
California jumped out to an early lead in the contest, paced by first basemen Andrew Vaughn’s strong night at the plate going 3-4 and 4 RBI’s.
Eder Erives struggled in a short notice appearance, allowing California to jump to an early 5-0 lead after three innings.
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Erives’s return from injury has been full of trail and tribulation, moments of dominance coupled by command struggles and long innings.
The senior has a next level arm, consistency and health will be the key going forward for Erives.
Arizona State’s struggles continue to harm head coach Tracy Smith’s optimistic tone he’s expressed.
Let’s be frank, this team is young and not ready to make noise in Pac-12 play.
That being said, California is an opponent with a similar record that ASU should have competed with, and that didn’t happen.
The Sun Devils showed resolve by scoring five runs in the ninth inning in a contest that appeared over.
Competing is something Smith preaches to all his players and it’s frequently said during his post-game press conferences.
Next: ASU Baseball: Sun Devils Fall to Wildcats
Game two of the series is Saturday at noon with Chaz Montoya is slated to start for ASU as the team looks to even the weekend set. The game can be seen on Pac-12 Network.