April 29, 2006
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Stanford, Calif. - No. 16 Arizona State (29-15, 8-6 Pac-10) evened a three-game Pac-10 series at Stanford (18-19, 4-10 Pac-10) with an 11-7 victory over the Cardinal on Saturday at Sunken Diamond. Arizona State jumped to an early 6-1 lead and then withstood a Cardinal comeback that closed the margin to 8-7 after seven innings. The Sun Devils scored three insurance runs in the top of the ninth to open up a four-run lead and then Brett Bordes got Jim Rapoport to pop out on a drag bunt attempt with the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth to complete a game that lasted 4:24 and was the longest of the season for the Cardinal, as well as the longest nine-inning game of the campaign for the Sun Devils.
Ike Davis (2-6, 3 RBI) drove in three runs for Arizona State, while Andrew Romine (3-5, SB), CJ Retherford (2-5, 2B, 2 RBI) and Preston Paramore (2-5, RBI) had multiple-hit contests. Brett Wallace also doubled and drove in a pair of runs.
Rapoport (3-6, 3B, 3 RBI) and Randy Molina (3-5, 2B) had three-hit games for the Cardinal, while Ryan Seawell drove in a pair of runs with a key pinch-hit single in the bottom of the seventh that cut the Arizona State lead to 8-7. Chris Minaker extended his hit streak to seven games with an RBI single in the third inning.
Bordes (2.1 IP, 3 H, 3 BB, 1 SO) picked up his third save of the season without being charged with a run as the fifth Sun Devil pitcher. Tony Barnette (3.2 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 5 SO) was credited with the victory to improve to 2-1 after entering the game for starter Zechry Zinicola (2.0 IP, 4 H, 4 R, 3 BB, 1 SO) before Zinicola could record an out in the third inning. Barnette limited the damage in the Cardinal third, entering the game after Minaker's RBI single brought Rapoport home with the third Cardinal run of the frame and not allowing any more Stanford scoring in the inning.
Stanford starter Jeremy Bleich (2-4) suffered the loss, allowing four runs (three earned) on four hits and two walks with four strikeouts over the first 2.0 innings. Bleich started the top of the third but was removed after walking Seth Dhaenens and Eric Sogard to start the frame.
Erik Davis (4.1 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 3 BB, career-high 5 SO) had a solid relief outing for the Cardinal, coming into the game after Max Fearnow (1.2 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 2 SO) allowed a leadoff single to Romine in the fifth and not allowing another hit until back-to-back one-out singles in the ninth from Retherford and Romine, both of which eventually scored after being inherited by David Stringer (0.2 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB).
The pitching staffs on the teams combined to walk 21 batters (Arizona State 11, Stanford 10) but the offenses also stranded 25 baserunners (Stanford 13, Arizona State 12).
Stanford started a long day of scoring in the bottom of the first inning when Joey August walked, moved to second on a single by Rapoport and scored two batters later on Michael Taylor's sacrifice fly.
Arizona State would never trail after scoring twice in the second to go ahead, 2-1. Colin Curtis singled and moved to second on a Bleich wild pitch before scoring on an RBI single by Davis to tie the game. Bleich then struck out Paramore and Retherford before a single by Romine and a bunt single from Rocky Laguna just out of Bleich's reach brought home Davis.The Sun Devils scored four more runs in the third to take a 6-1 advantage. Nolan Gallagher (0.1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER) relieved Bleich after he issued the back-to-back walks to Dhaenens and Sogard to begin the frame, and then balked the runners to second and third before retiring Curtis on a fly out for the first out of the inning. Davis then came through with a two-run single, before Paramore singled and Retherford blasted a two-run double to end Gallagher's brief outing.
Stanford came roaring back with three runs in its half of the third to reduce the Sun Devil lead to 6-4. Cord Phelps and August drew back-to-back walks before Rapoport brought them both in when he scorched a triple down the right field line. Minaker then singled to bring home Rapoport and end Zinicola's afternoon but Barnette came on to get the Sun Devils out of the jam. The Cardinal had runners on second and third with just one out and the three runs already in before Barnette struck out Chris Lewis and got Molina to fly out to left field on a diving catch by Sogard, who was starting his first game for the Sun Devils at the position.
Arizona State picked up two unearned runs in the top of the fourth to double its lead to 8-4 when Jason Castro failed to come up with Davis' hard-hit ground ball to the Cardinal first baseman and Paramore followed with an RBI single to score Dhaenens and Curtis, who had walked earlier in the inning.
Sogard would rob Stanford of two more possible runs in the fourth when he made another diving catch with two outs to take away a potential extra-base hit by Minaker with Cardinal runners on first and third.
Stanford got one run back in the sixth when Molina singled to lead off the inning and August walked with two outs to set up a clutch RBI single from Rapoport. Minaker then drew a walk to load the bases but Brady Martinez (1.0 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 1 BB) came on to retire Taylor on a fly ball to Curtis in center field to end the inning.
Molina also started Stanford's seventh inning rally when he doubled off the wall in rightcenter field with two outs. John Hester then drew a walk to end Martinez' outing and Bordes issued a free pass to pinch-hitter Brian Juhl to load the bases, before Seawell came through with his clutch pinch-hit two-run single to cut the Sun Devil lead to 8-7. Bordes recovered to strike out Rapoport and maintain a slim one-run lead.
Arizona State picked up three insurance runs in the top of the ninth on a two-RBI double from Wallace and a sacrifice fly by Sogard. Retherford and Romine started the rally with back-to-back one-out singles off Davis before Stringer walked Laguna to load the bases for Wallace.
Stanford threatened in the bottom of the ninth when Molina and Hester came up with back-to-back one-out singles and Seawell drew a two-out walk to bring Rapoport to the plate as the tying run.
The teams are scheduled to play the rubber game of the series on Sunday (1 pm, PT). Neither team has officially announced a starting pitcher.