Baseball outlasts Cal State Fullerton
It was another classic battle between Arizona State and Cal State Fullerton, as the top-ranked Sun Devils outlasted the Titans 6-5 at Goodwin Field in Fullerton. Mitchell Lambson (2-0) pitched 3.1 innings out of the bullpen to pick up the win and help ASU improve to 16-0 on the year.
The Sun Devils and Titans see-sawed all game long before a three-run fifth inning put ASU ahead for good.
Nick Ramirez started for Cal State Fullerton and went 4.1 innings, allowing five runs on seven hits with four strikeouts. Brady Rodgers made the start for ASU, lasting four innings and allowing four runs on seven hits. Rodgers took a no decision with Ramirez (0-2) taking the loss. Lambson came on for Rodgers and was outstanding before giving way to Jake Barrett and Jordan Swagerty, who earned his fifth save of the year.
The Titans grabbed the early lead in the bottom of the second, scoring twice off Rodgers to go ahead 2-0. An RBI single to center by Tyler Pill made it 1-0, then a balk by Rodgers brought home Billy Marcoe from third. ASU would get one back in the top of the third on a Zack MacPhee RBI single to left that scored Andrew Aplin, who led off the inning with a single.
Cal State Fullerton would push the lead back to two in the bottom of the third thanks to a solo homer by Carlos Lopez to right field. ASU again crawled to within one, this time thanks to a sacrifice fly by Zach Wilson that scored Riccio Torrez. As they did all night, the Titans continued to answer every ASU rally. With two outs in the fourth, Austin Kingsolver doubled home a run before being cut down at third on a relay throw from Deven Marrero. The Devils would once again battle back, this timing scoring three times to grab a 5-4 lead. Kole Calhoun singled up the middle to score Drew Maggi, then a Riccio Torrez single to center brought home MacPhee and Calhoun to give the Sun Devils the lead.
The Devils pushed another run across in the top of the eighth, thanks to some clutch two out hitting by Zach Wilson Xorge Carrillo. Wilson sent a sharp single to center with two away, then a double off the wall in left by Carrillo put Arizona State up 6-4.
The Titans would draw to within one run after a Tyler Pill sacrifice fly to right in the bottom of the eighth. They would threaten again off of Swagerty in the ninth. After a leadoff walk followed by a fly out, Fullerton's Gary Brown was called out on batter's interference. The call came after Austin Kingslover attempted a steal. He returned to first following the call and Swagerty induced a game ending ground out to seal the win for ASU.
Drew Maggi, Riccio Torrez, Zach Wilson and Andrew Aplin all had two hit games for the Devils, while Torrez drove in two, including the go-ahead runs in the fifth. The Sun Devils close out the two-game series with Cal State Fullerton Wednesday night at 6 p.m. from Goodwin Field.