Sun Devils raise eyebrows with dominant win over No. 13 Oklahoma

Klecker and bullpen shut down high powered Sooners offense
Michael Chow/The Republic / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Tuesday marked the first big test for Sun Devil baseball on this young season, rising to the challenge and then some in a 15-3 (7 innings) win at Oklahoma, dealing the Sooners their first loss of the season.

The bats took a little bit to get going with only a walk to Dean Toigo in the 1st, but 8 runs in the 2nd followed by 6 runs in the 3rd put the game away very early. Only Dominic Smaldino was kept off the basepaths as 5 of the starting 9 for the Sun Devils recorded multi-hit games, led by Nu'u Contrades (3-for-4, HR, 2B) and Landon Hairston (2-for-4, 2 HR, 5 RBI). Contrades' .448 average through 8 games ranks third on the team (minimum 10 at-bats), making him one of 5 Sun Devils to be batting .400 or higher at this point in the year.

Hairson meanwhile keeps pace with Contrades as the only players to reach base in all 8 games played this season. The first multi-home run game for any Sun Devil player this year, Landon has been asserting himself as a force to be reckoned with at the top of the order.

The boom in offense gave the pitching staff plenty of wiggle room to work with, but Kole Klecker limited the Sooners to 3 runs in his 5 innings of work, holding Oklahoma to fewer than 10 runs for the first time this season. The Sooners came in to the series having just outscored Coppin State 57-1 in three mercy rule wins over the weekend. Josh Butler and Alex Overbay contributed scoreless innings in relief as the three pitchers retired the Sooners in order from the 5th inning on.

The now 8-0 Sun Devils will go for the midweek sweep tomorrow at 3pm. Stream the game on SEC Network+ (subscription required) or tune in on KAZG 1440 AM.

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