ASU Baseball: Devils Beat Wildcats Behind 14 Runs, 17 Hits
By Sam Ficarro
After falling 11-2 to Arizona in their first meeting of the season, ASU baseball bounced back in a big way defeating No. 18 Arizona 14-13.
ASU baseball aimed for consecutive wins over ranked teams after defeating No. 13 Stanford 9-6 Sunday.
In a high-scoring affair, the Sun Devils held on for the upset win defeating the 18th-ranked Wildcats 14-13.
After the first two innings were scoreless, Arizona State scored first in the third inning on an RBI triple by left fielder Tyler Williams.
ASU extended the lead to 3-0 on a 2-run single by catcher Lyle Lin.
However, the Wildcats came back to tie the game at four in the fifth inning after a 3-run home run by left fielder Alfonso Rivas.
From that point on the game was back-and-forth.
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The Sun Devils responded with a five-run sixth inning on a 2-run triple by right fielder Hunter Bishop, an Arizona error and a 2-run double by second baseman Carter Aldrete.
Arizona State had a comfortable 9-4 but the Wildcats kept coming back versus ASU tying the game at 10 heading into the ninth inning.
The resilient Sun Devils responded again to adversity scoring four runs in the final frame on a Williams hit-by-pitch, 2-run single by Aldrete and an RBI sac fly by third baseman Jeremy McCuin.
Pitcher Eder Erives stayed on for Arizona State looking to close the game out, but had his own difficulties allowing three runs thanks to an RBI single by Rivas, wild pitch by Erives and RBI single by first baseman J.J. Matijevic.
Erives closed out the game getting third baseman Nick Quintana to fly out to left-center securing a wild 1-run victory for the Sun Devils.
Lin led the Sun Devils offensive outburst with a 4-hit performance with Williams and Aldrete each driving in four runs.
Neither pitching staff pitched particularly well.
Beginning with Arizona State, starter Chaz Montoya pitched well throwing 4.2 innings allowing 4 runs (3 earned) on 7 hits along with 3 walks and 5 strikeouts.
Alec Marsh came on in relief for Montoya and allowed 3 earned runs on 4 hits in 3 innings of work.
Next up was Reagan Todd who pitched to three batters without recording an out allowing 3 earned runs on 2 hits and 1 walk.
Erives finished the game securing the win throwing 1.2 innings allowing 3 earned runs on 3 hits and 1 walk.
On the other side, Arizona sent eight pitchers to the mound with starter Landon Faulkner only going 1.1 innings allowing no runs on 3 hits.
It was relievers Tylor Megill and Robby Medel who struggled for the Wildcats combining to throw 3.1 innings allowing 7 earned runs on 8 hits and 4 walks.
Next: ASU Athletics: Top Storylines for 2017
Arizona State improved to 21-24 (7-14) and will now prepare to head to Seattle for a four-game road trip beginning Friday with a three-game series at Washington.