PHOENIX – The Sun Devil baseball team fell to CSU Bakersfield in the series finale, 8-6, on Sunday afternoon at Phoenix Municipal Stadium.
Arizona State (18-20) battled back from a 6-1 deficit to tie the game, but could not muster another rally, ultimately coming up short.
Offense was the story of the afternoon from both sides, as the teams combined for 14 runs on 24 hits. Outfielder
Gage Canning once again acted as a catalyst at the top of the Sun Devil lineup, recording three more hits on the day. Designated hitter
Hunter Bishop provided the biggest offensive blow for the Sun Devils, a towering three-run home run well over the right center field wall to knot the game at 6.
Starting right-hander
Eder Erives got the start for the Sun Devils, his third of the season. The righty allowed just one run through the first five innings, but could not record an out in the sixth. Erives line finished at 5.0 innings pitched, giving up four runs on six hits while striking out a pair.
CSU Bakersfield (20-15) starting right hander Aaron Charles had a similar outing to Erives, cruising through the first five innings before running into trouble in the sixth. Charles was relieved in the sixth inning, finishing with a line of 5.0 innings pitched with three runs allowed on six hits.
Both pitchers provided a scoreless first inning, but it was the Roadrunners who would strike first in the top of the second. Designated hitter Mahlik Jones hit his first home run of the season, spotting CSU Bakersfield a 1-0 lead.
The Sun Devils would answer back in the fourth inning as first baseman
Lyle Lin led off the inning with a single. Lin would advance to third on a perfectly executed sac bunt from outfielder
Ryan Lillard followed by a wild pitch. Infielder
Carter Aldrete scored Lin on a sacrifice fly to tie things up at one.
The score would remain that way until the sixth inning, when both offenses broke out. In the top half of the inning, three straight singles led to a run to give the Roadrunners a 2-1 lead. Right-hander
Ryan Hingst would take over for Erives in the sixth. A fielder's choice would score another run followed by three consecutive singles for CSU Bakersfield, each of which drove in a run to push the Roadrunners lead to 6-1.
Sam Ferri made his debut on the mound for the Sun Devils in the inning, retiring the final two batters of the inning.
Despite the large deficit, the Devils would not go down without a fight. The ASU offense immediately responded to the five-run inning with a five-run inning of their own.
The first three batters of the inning, Canning,
Andrew Shaps, and Lin all reached base, the first two reaching thanks to a base hit. Outfielder
Ryan Lillard came through with the bases loaded, singling to right field to score Canning and make it a 6-2 lead. Another sacrifice fly from Aldrete would push across another run, cutting the lead to 6-3.
Next batter catcher
Zach Cerbo walked to put the tying run to the plate in the form of
Hunter Bishop. Bishop absolutely crushed a mammoth three-run shot to right center to bring the Devils all the way back to tie it at six.
Left-hander
Reagan Todd got the nod to start the seventh inning. Jones would drive in his second run of the game to put the Roadrunners back on top, 7-6, in the seventh inning.
The Roadrunners' closer right-hander Naithen Dewsnap came on in relief in the bottom half of the seventh. Dewsnap would throw a scoreless seventh inning to keep the lead at one for the Sun Devils.
The Roadrunners would add another run to their lead thanks to a sacrifice fly from second baseman David Metzgar. Right-hander
Jake Godfrey took over for
Reagan Todd with two outs in the eighth inning. Godfrey would throw the final 1.1 innings, not allowing a hit or run to keep the CSU Bakersfield lead at 8-6.
Arizona State had once last chance for rally in the bottom half of the ninth inning.
Hunter Bishop reached on an error to bring the tying run to the plate. A flyout would end the game and give the Roadrunners the victory in the series final, 8-6.
NOTES: Gage Canning extended his team-best hitting streak to 12 games and is 28-for-52 (.538) with three home runs, three triples and three doubles while slugging .885 in the process...The junior outfielder has tallied a team leading 13 RBI's, scored 12 runs and is a perfect 4-for-4 attempting to steal…Canning has flashed the leather as well, making highlight reel plays in right field leading to a perfect fielding percentage on 26 attempts over his last 12 games…Canning now has nine games with three or more hits on the season which is four more than any other Sun Devil and surpasses the team lead from last season (6)…Nine three-hit games is tied for the most for an ASU player since Zach MacPhee and Drew Maggi did it in 2010…
Lyle Lin has reached base in 24 consecutive games…It is the longest active streak by a Sun Devil and Lin now sits third among all ASU freshmen since 2000 for the longest in a season, trailing only
Gage Canning (28, 2016) and Dustin Pedroia (26, 2002)…Lin has reached base in all but one game this season…
Zach Cerbo extended his hitting streak to eight games…
Jake Godfrey inherited two runners today, bringing his total to a season-leading 15…He retired both of those batters and has now retired 14 of the 15 inherited runners he has faced this season…
