ASU Baseball: Devils Fall to Stanford in Series Opener

After trailing 3-0 and 6-2 versus 13th-ranked Stanford, ASU baseball‘s late rally fell short as the Cardinal extended their nation-leading winning streak.

ASU baseball returned home Friday to open a three-game series versus No. 13 Stanford and fell 7-5 rallying late.

Arizona State pitcher Eder Erives got the start for the Sun Devils, and his night was short-lived throwing only 1.1 innings allowing 2 earned runs on 4 hits and 2 walks.

Stanford jumped out to an early 3-0 lead on a first-inning RBI single by designated hitter Dan Bakst, a second-inning RBI single by shortstop Nico Hoerner and a third-inning error by ASU shortstop Carter Aldrete leading to the third run.

The last two run-scoring plays were off reliever Ryan Hingst, who was the Sun Devils’ third pitcher of the game.

Hingst went on to pitch six innings allowing 5 runs (4 earned) on 7 hits with 3 walks and 3 strikeouts.

More from Devils in Detail

The deciding-play of the game came in the fifth inning as Cardinal first baseman Matt Winaker hit a three-run home run to right center cracking the game open and making it 6-2 Stanford.

Stanford would take on an insurance run in the sixth inning on a solo home run by Bakst as Stanford held on to a two-run victory.

The Sun Devils were able to come back and put the game in reach overcoming deficits of three and four runs.

After trailing 3-0 heading into the bottom of the third inning, second baseman Taylor Lane hit an RBI sac fly followed by a fourth-inning home run by right fielder Gage Canning cut the Stanford lead to 3-2.

After an RBI double by designated hitter Tyler Williams in the fifth inning, ASU got a run in the seventh and eighth innings on an RBI single by catcher Zach Cerbo and solo home run by center fielder Andrew Shaps cutting the deficit to 7-5.

Arizona State was unable to get anything in the ninth inning as Stanford closer Colton Hock picked up his 13th save of the season putting him tied for the Pac-12 lead in saves.

Just like ASU, Stanford sent four pitchers to the mound Friday as starter Kris Bubic threw only three innings allowing 1 earned run on 4 hits to go along with 3 walks and 2 strikeouts.

Reliever Will Matthiessen secured his third win of the season throwing 3.2 innings allowing 3 earned runs on 7 hits with a walk and 4 strikeouts.

Next: ASU Baseball: Devils Can’t Win Rubber Match

Arizona State dropped to 19-23 and 6-13 in Pac-12 play with game two of the series Saturday at 6:30 p.m. PST and can be seen on the ASU Live Stream.

Home/ASU Baseball