Arizona State blasts 5 home runs, Oral Roberts commits 5 errors in series finale

Arizona State was raking and taking, while Oral Roberts was gaffing and giving.

That all added up to a decisive 9-2 victory for the Sun Devils on Sunday in the rubber match of the three-game series at Phoenix Municipal Stadium.

ASU blasted a season-best five home runs — getting two from Nu’u Contrades and one each from Kien Vu, Jacob Tobias and Josiah Cromwick — and added four stolen bases to improve to 6-1 this season.

Contrades, a junior from Ewa Beach, Hawaii, went 2-for-5 with two home runs and three RBIs.

It was a much different afternoon for Oral Roberts (4-2), which committed a season-high five errors in the first four innings — including three when attempting to pick off runners at first base.

Jaden Alba was solid in his second start for ASU, allowing two runs on six hits while striking out six and walking two in five innings to earn the victory.

The sophomore right-hander recovered nicely after walking leadoff batter Will Edmunson on four pitches, issuing a six-pitch walk to Makani Tanaka, and then giving up a single to Cooper Combs to load the bases.

Alba rallied to retire the next three batters — getting Wailele Kane-Yates to line out and then striking out Jack Schark and Tyler Brodrick to get out of the inning unscathed.

Arizona State wasted little time getting on the board as Contrades sent Trent Martin's first pitch over the fence in center field for his second home run in as many games.

Vu followed with a double but got greedy and was thrown out trying to stretch it into a triple.

ASU added another run in the bottom of the second inning when Jonathon Hernandez scored from third on a sacrifice fly from Kyle Walker. Hernandez, a redshirt junior, got on base with a one-out single, then stole second and advanced to third on a throwing error.

Oral Roberts got on the board in the top of the third inning as Tanaka led off with a single and then scored on a double down the right-field line from Combs to cut the deficit to 2-1.

Redshirt sophomore Brandon Compton drew a one-out walk to lead off the bottom of the third, then stole second and raced to third on a throwing error.

Cromwick later blasted a two-out grounder past Oral Roberts third baseman Matthew Brandt to bring Compton home and give ASU a 3-1 lead. Brandt was charged with the error on the play.

The Golden Eagles got a run back in the top of the fourth, as Brandt delivered a one-out double and later scored on a two-out double from Edmunson to cut the Sun Devils' lead to 3-2.

Arizona State took a three-run lead in the fifth with a two-run home from Tobias. The center-field shot also brought home Compton, who earlier drew his third walk of the game and advanced to second on a failed pick-off attempt that resulted in a throwing error.

It was the second home run of the season for Tobias and the 37th of the senior slugger's career — 20 shy of the all-time ASU record.

Vu gave the Sun Devils a 6-2 lead with a two-out home run in the bottom of the sixth inning. It was the second in as many days for Vu, an All-American last season and an All-Big 12 selection this season.

Cromwick led off the seventh inning with his fourth home run of the year to extend the lead to 7-2.

Contrades hit his second home run of the game and third in the series in the bottom of the eighth inning. The two-run shot scored Walker, who had reached base on a walk and later stole second, as ASU increased its lead to 9-2.

Derek Schafer (one hit, one strikeout and one walk in one inning), Cole Carlon (one hit and four strikeouts in two innings) and Eli Buxton (one strikeout in one inning) didn't allow a run over the final four innings to secure the victory.

Arizona State hits the road for a two-game series at UCLA (6-1) Tuesday and Wednesday before returning home for a three-game set vs. Minnesota (2-4).