Sun Devil Baseball Splits Midweek Series at GCU in 4-1 Loss

PHOENIX – Sun Devil Baseball used a program record 12 pitchers and limited Grand Canyon to just three earned runs in the process, but the offense struggled on the other end in a 4-1 loss on Wednesday evening at Brazell Field in Phoenix, Ariz., to split the two-game midweek series against the Lopes.
 
ASU stranded nine on base and didn't have a hit or even a baserunner over the final 11 outs of the game.
 
The 12 Sun Devil pitchers did their part, working around jam after jam and stranding 13 Lope runners in the process. Three pitchers made their Sun Devil pitching debuts in the game in Jay Baggs, Blake Pivaroff and Kai Murphy.
 
The 11 pitching changes marked an All-DI record and was just shy of the overall NCAA record of 12 by Butler against NAIA Indiana-Southeast in 1998.
 
Unfortunately, the bulk of the damage came in one inning off of starter Joe Hauser and reliever Blake Burzell. A leadoff walk and HBP would both score in a three-run third inning for GCU and that was all it took as ASU managed just one unearned run the rest of the way on offense. 
 
Hunter Jump and Hunter Haas were the only Sun Devils with multi-hit games. Jump had the lone RBI of the contest. 
 
NOTABLES

• Hunter Haas extended his hitting streak to a team-best 12 straight games. 
• ASU has stranded 280 opponent baserunners in 32 games this season (8.8 per game).
• Hunter Jump extended his reached base streak to a team-best 18 straight games. 
• The 11 relief pitchers for ASU were a school record for one game and tied the second-most in NCAA history. The record was 12 by Butler against Indiana-Southeast in 1998. However, IU-Southeast is an NAIA program, marking tonight's contest as at least a tie for most relief pitchers in a game between two D1 programs. 

 
ON DECK
The Sun Devils hit the road for a three-game Pac-12 series in Salt Lake City against the Utah Utes beginning on Friday. 
 
INNING-BY-INNING
 
1st Inning
ASU stranded a one-out Jump single but Hauser was able to escape a jam in the bottom half with runners on the corners with one out with back-to-back strikeouts to to keep things scoreless.
 
2nd Inning
ASU had a pair of leadoff baserunners and loaded the bases with two outs but GCU was able to strikeout the side to keep it scoreless. Nick Cheema gunned down the leadoff walk trying to steal a base and it remained 0-0. 
 
3rd Inning
GCU robbed a Jump hit with a diving play in left and ASU stranded a two-out runner. The Lopes took advantage of ASU's missed chances and free bases with three runs in the bottom half of the inning – two of which coming on a leadoff walk and HBP.
 
4th Inning
ASU was able to get a run back in the top of the fourth behind an RBI bases loaded infield single from Jump to score Nick Cheema in which Drew Swift outslid the force at second to make it 3-1. Peery stranded a one-out HBP without any drama to keep it a two-run game. 
 
5th Inning
GCU turned to their Friday-night starter in the fifth and got a 1-2-3 frame out of him. The Lopes threatened in the bottom half, putting runners on the corners but Brady Corrigan came in to get the Devils out of the jam and keep it 3-1. 
 
6th Inning
ASU got a hit but was unable to put anyone into scoring position. GCU loaded the bases in the bottom half but Graham Osman escaped the jam with a big swinging strikeout to keep ASU close. 
 
7th Inning
The Devils went down in order. GCU added some insurance with a two-out bloop single in the bottom half to go back up by three. 

8th Inning
ASU went down in order on just eight pitches. Blake Pivaroff and Kai Murphy made their Sun Devil pitching debuts with Pivaroff getting his first career strikeout and Murphy seeing an incredibly diving play from Joe Lampe in center. Jared Glenn stranded a pair with a strikeout.
 
9th Inning
ASU again went down in order in a quiet 1-2-3 frame.