Stanford Suffers Sweep, Celebrates Seniors

STANFORD, Calif. – A pair of home runs from sophomore Jimmy Nati helped Stanford (20-28, 11-16 Pac-12) draw even at 6-6 through five innings, but Arizona State (29-24, 17-13 Pac-12) scored 10 of the game's final 11 runs to earn a 16-7 victory and a series sweep over the Cardinal on Sunday from Sunken Diamond.

Sunday's game was the final regular-season home game for the Cardinal, as Stanford recognized seniors Jaden Bruno and Tommy O'Rourke pregame as part of Senior Day.

Trailing 4-0 in the bottom of the fourth inning, Stanford got three runs back on Nati's first home run of the day, and tied the game on an RBI-triple from Temo Becerra to cap a four-run frame.

After Arizona State responded for two runs on a home run from Brandon Compton in the top of the fifth, Nati launched his second homer – a two-run shot – in the home half of the fifth to knot the tally once again at six runs apiece.

As it did all series, Arizona State utilized the home run en route to victory, as Kevin Karstetter and Steven Ondina went back-to-back in the sixth to highlight a three-run frame. The sixth-inning long ball was the second of the day from Ondina, who also homered in the second.

The final Sun Devil home run came off the bat of Jacob Tobias in the eighth inning, as his three-run blast stretched a four-run lead to seven at 13-6.

Arizona State would tack on three more for good measure in the ninth, including one on Nick McLain's fourth hit of the day, to carry a 16-6 advantage into the bottom of the ninth.

McLain finished 4-for-5 with two runs scored, two doubles and one RBI. Ondina was 4-for-5 with two homers, a double, three runs scored and three RBIs, while Tobias drove in six of ASU's 16 runs.

The Cardinal did manage to plate a run in the bottom of the ninth as freshman Champ Hampton laced an RBI-double down the line in left for his first collegiate run driven in.

With the home slate behind it, Stanford will travel to California on Monday for a 6 p.m. first pitch before heading to UCLA next week to wrap up the regular season with a three-game series running Thursday through Saturday.

GAME NOTES:

• Stanford has lost a season-high six straight games, seven of its last eight, and 22 of the last 34 overall.
• The Cardinal has been swept in back-to-back series for the first time since dropping three straight series vs. Arizona (3/20-3/22/15), at then-No. 6 Arizona State (3/27-3/29/15) and vs. Washington (4/2-4/4/15).
• Arizona State connected for five home runs in the Sunday victory, finishing the three-game series with 11 homers.
• Stanford had not homered in six consecutive games entering Sunday's contest.
• Temo Becerra (1-for-4, 3B, RBI) has hit safely in 19 of his last 27 games and 25 of his last 33 overall.
• Owen Cobb (2-for-5) has hit safely in 14 of his last 15 games and 21 of his last 26 overall … has collected multiple hits in 15 of his last 26.
• Ethan Hott (1-for-4, R) has hit safely in nine of his last 10 and 14 of his last 16 overall.
• Cort MacDonald (1-for-5) has hit safely in 14 of his last 16, 22 of his last 25 and 28 of his last 32 … has reached in all but five of his games played this year, hitting safely in all but six.
• Malcolm Moore (2-for-5, 2 R) has hit safely in seven straight games.
• Jimmy Nati (4-for-5, 2 R, 2 HR, 5 RBIs) posted his second career two-homer game (vs. California on April 27, 2024).
• Toran O'Harran (3 IP, 6 H, 5 ER, 2 BB, 4 K) was charged with the loss and dropped to 1-3 on the season.