Arizona State blows another late lead, loses 7-6 to Grand Canyon

Of all the things that could've happened, this was the one outcome that Arizona State could not abide.

Yet, that's exactly where they found themselves: clinging to a narrow lead late over Grand Canyon with an unreliable bullpen. And, as it has so many times this year, the bullpen fell apart in a 7-6 loss Tuesday night.

Wyatt Halvorson got the start this time, a switch from usual mid-week starter Easton Barrett. The gambit from Willie Bloomquist did not pay off, as the Sun Devils surrendered two runs in the first inning to put them in an early 2-1 hole.

Halvorson struggled again in the second, although he held the Antelopes scoreless, but Bloomquist brought in Barrett for the start of the third. He came into the game right after watching the Sun Devils reclaim the lead, thanks to a two-run RBI single from Matt King that was followed up by a sacrifice fly RBI from Nu'u Contrades.

Pitching with a 4-2 lead seemed to agree with Barrett, who yielded one hit and zero runs in the third and fourth innings. He watched Matt King drive in another run in the top of the fourth, upping the Arizona State lead to 5-2.

Things slipped for Barrett in the fifth, though. Back-to-back singles to start the frame were compounded with a bases-loading walk. After getting a strikeout, Barrett's night was over, replaced by Derek Schaefer. A single got through to drive in a run, but a beautiful throw from Landon Hairston helped limit the damage.

The Sun Devils responded in kind, with Josiah Cromwick launching his 11th home run of the year in the lead-off spot of the sixth inning to put his team up 6-3.

Then came the bullpen we all know and (don't) love.

Schaefer remained in for the sixth, but Grand Canyon managed to get consecutive two-out RBI hits, cutting the lead to 6-5. Sean Fitzpatrick came in to finish things out for Schaefer. Will Koger took the mound in the seventh, but after hitting a batter to put him on base, Koger had his next at-bat taken deep for a home run, giving up the lead.

Worse was that Arizona State was unable to respond.

Cromwick was walked in the top of the eighth, but Isaiah Jackson immediately hit into a double play to end the frame. In the top of the ninth, rally caps and all, King managed a two-out single but the game ended right after that on a fly out to center field.

Simply put, this loss is going to deal a costly blow to the Sun Devils' postseason hopes. They've been slumping lately, though the series win over Texas Tech helped. Any positive momentum, though, was undone in this game.

The margin for error the rest of the way now becomes very, very slim.