April 17, 2009
Complete Release and Box Score in PDF Format 
TEMPE, Ariz. - Arizona State's Jason Kipnis and Matt Newman each drove in four runs apiece and the fourth-ranked Sun Devils (26-8, 11-2 Pac-10) scored in each of the first five innings while posting a 14-6 victory over visiting Stanford (15-14, 7-6) in the opener of a Pac-10 weekend series at Packard Stadium.
Kipnis went 3-for-5 with two runs scored and a double, while Newman went 2-for-4 with a pair of doubles to pace the Arizona State offense. Raoul Torrez hit a two-run home run and leadoff batter Drew Maggi scored four runs, while the Sun Devils plated two runs in the first inning, five in the second, three in both the third and fourth and one in the fifth.
Ben Clowe matched his career high in hits and RBI for Stanford, going 3-for-4 while driving in three runs. Joey August had a pair of hits for the Cardinal, while Adam Gaylord delivered an RBI-single and Jake Schlander added a sacrifice fly. Colin Walsh reached base safely for the 12th straight game and extended his hitting streak to a career-high seven games, going 1-for-3 with a walk and a hit-by-pitch.
Stanford's only lead of the game was 3-2 after the top of the second. After Arizona State scored twice in the first, Zach Jones began a Cardinal rally by being hit by a pitch. Clowe singled to put runners at the corners with one out, and Gaylord followed with his RBI-single. Schlander's sac fly tied the game, and when Walsh's grounder to third resulted in a throwing error, Clowe scored to give Stanford a 3-2 lead.
However, Arizona State quickly answered, scoring five in the second off Stanford starter Jeffrey Inman (1-5). After Clowe's two-out, two-run single in the third brought the Cardinal within two at 7-5, the Sun Devils scored the next six runs for a 13-5 lead. Clowe added an RBI-single in the fifth, but Stanford could get no closer.
Arizona State starter Josh Spence (8-0) who had allowed just five runs (three earned) in 32.1 innings over four previous Pac-10 starts, was touched for six runs (five earned) by Stanford tonight. However, the left-hander worked 7.0 innings for the win.
Cardinal relievers Alex Pracher (1er, 2.1ip), Brian Busick (1.0-scoreless inning) and Michael Marshall (1.0-shutout frame) combined to allow just three hits over the final 4.1 innings.
Stanford and Arizona State will square off for the second game of this weekend series tomorrow night, with Cardinal right-hander Jordan Pries (3-0, 4.11) opposing Sun Devils' right-hander Mike Leake (8-1, 1.53). First pitch from Packard Stadium is set for 6:30 p.m.