Bats go cold as Sun Devils suffer their first loss of the season

Coming off Tuesday's eye-opening 15-3 win, the Sun Devils took to the diamond looking for the sweep from L. Dale Mitchell Park in Norman, OK. The Sooners meanwhile showed that the blowout loss was a mere speed bump, coming through in the clutch for a 4-3 walk-off win to split the midweek series.

It looked like the Sun Devils were out to steamroll Oklahoma for a second straight game, sending 8 to the plate and putting up 3 runs on 2 hits, helped by an error and a walk. Taylor Penn opened the game and gave 2.1 innings of solid work, surrendering 2 runs on 3 hits but holding the high-powered Sooners at bay for the bullpen to take over. And take over the Sun Devils bullpen did.

Wyatt Halvorson was the story of the game for the Devils, starting his day by recording a double play that would set the tone for 3.2 perfect innings of baseball. He was set to pitch the 7th inning but was lifted for Sean Fitzpatrick after experiencing discomfort in his warmups. The sudden entrance was hardly an obstacle for Sean, retiring all 4 batters he faced (3 by strikeout) before yielding to Derek Schaefer.

Oklahoma would get their first baserunner since the 3rd inning and had the tying run in scoring position before Schaefer delivered the most important pitch of the game to that point, striking out Jason Walk to end the 8th inning.

For as dominant as the bullpen was for the Sun Devils, the offense performed in the opposite. After the outburst in the top of the 1st, Arizona State managed just 7 baserunners for the rest of the game, getting just two of those runners to scoring position. Austen Roellig's two out double in the 6th inning looked promising with Garrett Michel at the plate pinch hitting for Matt Polk, but Roellig would be caught in no-man's land and was picked off to end the inning. Back-to-back two-out singles by Dominic Smaldino and Brody Briggs looked to finally produce some much needed insurance to support the bullpen, but both were left on base after Beckett Zavorek grounded out to end the threat.

Schaefer was tasked with getting the game to extra innings, but the Oklahoma offense decided enough was enough. A leadoff triple by Camden Johnson followed by a double by Deiten LaChance tied the game up, and Jaxon Willits' double chased in pinch runner Kyle Branch to deliver the weekend split.

Roellig led the way for the Devils on offense, going 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI, with Smaldino, Briggs, Landon Hairston, PJ Moutzouridis and Coen Niclai also recording hits. Contributing to the offensive challenges were 11 strikeouts by Sun Devils, setting a season high for the second straight night (8 on Tuesday).

It's a tough loss to swallow but the Sun Devils will have to shake it off quickly. Coming up next is the Amegy Bank College Baseball Series from Globe Life Field in Arlington, where Arizona State will face No. 4 ranked Mississippi State at 10am Arizona time on Friday morning. You can watch the action on Flo College (subscription required) or tune in to the Sun Devil Radio Network on KAZG 1440 AM.