ASU Baseball wins first game of Tempe Regional
The Sun Devils shook off a challenge from a tough Stony Brook team to post a 9-7 win in the nightcap of Friday's regional double-header. Box Score Oklahoma upset #21 Vanderbilt 8-5 in the early game.
The Devils struck first on a bases-loaded balk in the first inning to take a 1-0 lead, but the Sea Wolves (34-25) stayed close, scoring one in the second and a pair of runs in the third to go ahead 3-1.
Then two-time defending Pac-10 Player of the Year Brett Wallace connected with a ball that, had the wind been blowing out to right as it usually does at Packard, may have reached orbit. His two-run home run tied the game at 3, and ASU scratched across one more to take a 4-3 lead, but Stony Brook was not done. They scored two more in the fourth to take a 5-4 lead through 3 1/2 innings.
The game see-sawed again as ASU regained the lead with another pair of runs in their half of the fourth and after a scoreless top of the 5th, the Devils pulled away with three in the fifth.
The Sea Wolves scored single runs in the sixth and ninth innings to provide the final margin, and seemed to be threatening for more in the final frame, with the tying runs on with nobody out. But then Tommy Rafferty picked a runner off of second base, and then got Chad Marshall to line into a 5-3 double play to end the ballgame.
After the game, Stony Brook Coach Matt Senk talked about his team's gritty performance.
ASU Coach Pat Murphy was also impressed by Stony Brook.
Coach Murphy on the parity in modern college baseball.
After his mammoth home run, Brett Wallace explained why he isn't worried about being pitched around in the tournament.
On Saturday, Vanderbilt will face Stony Brook at 2 pm, followed by ASU and Oklahoma at 7 pm.
last updated on 08.05.31 at 11:58 AM