PHOENIX – In games late in the season when the temperature rises, the expectation for Arizona State baseball is to score plenty runs at Phoenix Municipal Stadium, especially with the wind blowing out. That favors home runs, as the Sun Devils have power threats in their lineup.
The recipe to have bunches of home runs set up well for the Sun Devils tonight: wind blowing out, an big, intense rivalry game crowd but the temperature was a cool 73, similar to their bats tonight, especially with runners in scoring position. The bats went 1-10 with runners in scoring position, as No. 23 Arizona State lost to Arizona 5-3 in 11 innings.
“ It’s (Hitting with runners in scoring position) been pretty dismal the past five or six games,” Arizona State head coach Willie Bloomquist said.
That recipe allowed the Wildcats to score three home runs on freshman right-hander Austin Musso. Those were all solo home runs against the freshman, which were the only baserunners he gave up in four innings pitched, a career high in his second career start. He struck out four on the night.
Musso’s season ERA rose to 6.14. He has a 6.43 ERA as a starter.
“Those (home runs) were all behind in the count,” Bloomquist said. “I’d rather that than walk the yard.”
Behind Musso the Sun Devil bullpen put up a long train of zeroes. After a rough start on Tuesday, sophomore lefty Easton Barrett threw the ball well, walking one in a scorelss inning of work. His ERA fell to 7.32 this season.
Junior right-hander Alex Overbay pitched well, allowing two hits in a scoreless frame. He has had three good outings consecutively, lowered his ERA to 6.51.
Sophomore right-hander Eli Buxton issued a walk in his scoreless inning. His ERA fell to 12.27, he’s thrown the ball well as of late with a 1.59 ERA in his last five and two thirds innings across six appearances.
Senior southpaw Sean Fitzpatrick struck out the side in the eighth inning. His season ERA is 3.63, a nice bounceback season from last year’s 11.57.
Junior righty Derek Schaefer threw the ball well, allowing a pair of hits but kept the Wildcats scoreless while striking out four. His bounce back outing lowered his season ERA to 6.27. In his previous two outings he had a 37.80 ERA.
The train of zeroes stopped with redshirt junior Colin Linder who allowed a walk and a pair of hits, that scored a pair of runs. Only one was earned as redshirt sophomore Austen Roellig made a poor play at third base on a pickoff play. Linder only threw a third of a inning and his ERA rose to 4.64.
Sophomore right hander Finn Edwards threw the final two-thirds of the 11th, striking out the two batters he faced. His season ERA fell to 3.60.
Offensively, redshirt junior infielder Nu’u Contrades went 2-5, with a two-run shot. The 399 foot blast was his 11th this season, adding on to his career high.
Junior utility Dominic Longo went 2-5 on the night. He was on a 1-27 drought, but his bat has heated up, going 6-14 in his last four games.
“I’m seeing good at-bats (from Longo),” Contrades said. “He’s hitting the ball hard.”
5th-year right fielder Dean Toigo walked, drove in a run on a sacrifice fly and scored.
Bloomquist decided to start redshirt sophomore Brody Briggs over sophomore Coen Niclai at the catcher position. Niclai typically gets the against lefty starters like Arizona’s senior starter Patrick Morris and has the better bat. Briggs has the better defense and often comes in late as a defensive replacement when Niclai starts.
“We didn’t think he (Morris) was going to go more than two or three innings,” Bloomquist said. “We assumed they were going to use a variety of arms tonight.”
Briggs started the game and went 0-2 before Niclai came in and went 1-2, with both of his at-bats coming against righties. In the 11th, Niclai was tagged with a passed ball and catcher’s interference.
Sophomore outfielder Landon Hairston had a hit, extending his hit streak to 21.
In the seventh, the Sun Devils had runners on second and third with no out. They eventually loaded the bases but did not generate a run.
“We need to understand that the pressure’s on the pitcher, not us,” Contrades said. “Sometimes I get over anxious in those situations.”
6,003 fans came to the game, with 2,219 being students setting a record. That was the most fans the Sun Devils have seen at Phoenix Municipal Stadium this season.
The Sun Devils finished with a 3-2 record against Arizona this season.
“I take this one kind of hard, obvoiusly means a lot to the fans,” Contrades said. “We did fight.”
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