Baseball sweeps Towson with 5-4 win
<p>The No. 2 Arizona State University baseball team completed a four-game sweep of Towson with a 5-4 victory Feb. 28, at Winkles Field-Packard Stadium at Brock Ballpark. A crowd of 1,931 saw the Sun Devils move to 7-0 with the win, in a game that was delayed by four and a half hours due to rain.</p><separator></separator><p><a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/m-basebl/mtt/ruettiger_johnny00.htm… Ruettiger</a> had two hits to lead ASU, including the go-ahead hit in the fifth, driving in two runs with a single that broke a 3-3 tie.</p><separator></separator><p>The Sun Devils then hung on for the win late, with <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/m-basebl/mtt/swagerty_jordan00.html… Swagerty</a> pitching the ninth to get his first save of the season. The game ended on a diving catch by <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/m-basebl/mtt/maggi_drew00.html">Drew Maggi</a> in left field when Towson had runners on first and third with two outs.</p><separator></separator><p><a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/m-basebl/mtt/kelly_merrill00.html">… Kelly</a> started and got the win, going five innings and allowing six hits and three runs with six strikeouts to improve to 2-0 on the year.</p><separator></separator><p>ASU took the lead with two runs in the third on an RBI double by <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/m-basebl/mtt/swagerty_jordan00.html… Swagerty</a>, who started the game at catcher before coming in to pitch the ninth, and an RBI single by <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/m-basebl/mtt/macphee_zack00.html">Z… MacPhee</a>.</p><separator></separator><p>After Towson scored three runs in the top of the fifth to take the lead, the Sun Devils answered with three runs of their own in the bottom half of the inning. <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/m-basebl/mtt/calhoun_kole00.html">K… Calhoun</a> tied the game with an RBI single before Ruettiger's hit put ASU in front.</p><separator></separator><p>The Tigers scored a run in the eighth, but Swagerty held off their rally in the ninth to preserve the victory.</p><separator></separator><p>The Sun Devils return to action with an exhibition game against Meiji University from Japan, with first pitch scheduled for 6:30 p.m. at Winkles Field-Packard Stadium at Brock Ballpark.</p>