Arizona State pulls away late for 10-4 win over Texas Tech

The Sun Devils found a way to get back in the win column Thursday night, beating Texas Tech 10-4 in the first of a three-game series, but it didn't look great for a long while.

Arizona State was in desperate need of a win following two straight losses, both by walk-off, on their Midwest road trip from last week. The Red Raiders, near the bottom of the Big 12 standings, presented a golden opportunity to get back on track. But nothing ever comes easy.

Ben Jacobs got the start for this one, hoping to set the tone for the series. He did exactly that. Jacobs was on a heater to start, striking out the side in not just the first inning but the second inning as well.

By the time Jacobs finished his night, after six innings pitched, he had thrown a whopping 13 strikeouts without walking a single batter.

Unlike in their games during this past road trip, the Sun Devil bats didn't wait to get going. In the bottom of the second, both Kien Vu and Brandon Compton got on base early to set up a big home run from Isaiah Jackson, putting them up 3-0 early.

Unfortunately, that led to Jacobs' one moment of weakness in an otherwise great game.

A hit snuck past first base for a two-run RBI double, and then a ground-rule double brought another run home to tie the game right back up. Jacobs navigated his way out of the inning from there, and didn't give up a single run the rest of the night.

Both pitchers locked in from that point, actually. The game stayed locked up at 3-3 all the way until the bottom of the seventh when a Jackson single brought Vu home. Not long after that, a fielder's choice helped Jackson plate, putting Arizona State up 5-3.

The Red Raiders would add a run in the eighth by way of an RBI single, cutting it to a 5-4 lead and making every Sun Devil fan nervous after watching two straight walk-off losses.

History would not repeat itself, though. In the bottom of the eighth, Matt King continued his hot streak with a two-run bomb to add some breathing room.

Arizona State didn't stop there, though. Compton and Nu'u Contrades both got on base in time for Josiah Cromwick to launch his own dinger, and in the span of just one inning the Sun Devils had gone from a narrow 5-4 lead to a dominant 10-4 lead.

Cole Carlon, who had manned the mound for the eighth inning, stayed in to close things out. He struclk out the first batter with just three pitches and then forced two fast ground outs, securing the win and never leaving any room for a comeback attempt.

This one felt like a typical Sun Devil loss for a long time, and Willie Bloomquist had to be sweating towards the end, but the sudden burst of offense resulted in a fairly straightforward win. Now, the Sun Devils can clinch the series Friday night.