Newman's five hits lead baseball to sweep Washington State

April 11, 2009

<a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/m-basebl/mtt/newman_matt00.html">Ma… Newman</a> had a career-high five hits and drove in five runs to lead the No. 1 Arizona State University baseball team to an 11-1 win over Washington State on Saturday in front of a crowd of 2,561 at Winkles Field-Packard Stadium at Brock Ballpark. The Sun Devils improve to 25-7 overall, 10-1 in the Pac-10, with the victory.<separator></separator>Newman had a three-run homer, two-run double and three singles to become the first Sun Devil with five hits in a game since March 17, 2007, when <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/m-basebl/mtt/roling_kiel00.html">Ki… Roling</a> accomplished the feat against Maine. <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/m-basebl/mtt/macphee_zack00.html">Z… MacPhee</a> also had a big night offensively, reaching base in four of his five plate appearances with a two-run double, a single and two walks.<separator></separator><a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/m-basebl/mtt/spence_josh00.html">Jo… Spence</a> started and went eight shutout innings, allowing seven hits with 10 strikeouts and no walks to earn the win and improve to 7-0 on the year. It was the fifth time in his eight starts this season that Spence has struck out 10 or more batters, and he lowered his season ERA to 1.01 with this game.<separator></separator>The Sun Devils got on the board early and often against the Cougars, striking for five runs in the second inning. <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/m-basebl/mtt/ruiz_abe00.html">Abe Ruiz</a> drove in the game's first run with a double to the left field corner, <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/m-basebl/mtt/torrez_raoul00.html">R… Torrez</a> then brought home a run with a bases loaded infield single, Newman followed with a two-run double and Torrez then scored on a wild pitch to cap off the inning.<separator></separator>Newman's three-run shot to right in the third extended the ASU lead to 8-0, and MacPhee then drove in two more runs in the fourth on a ground rule double. <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/m-basebl/mtt/ramirez_carlos00.html"… Ramirez</a> then added an RBI single to center in the fifth. Washington State scored its only run of the game in the ninth inning, as Matt Fanelli doubled in a run off reliever <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/m-basebl/mtt/franzblau_jason00.html… Franzblau</a>.<separator></separator>The Sun Devils will look for a three-game sweep of the Cougars on Sunday, with first pitch scheduled for noon at Winkles Field-Packard Stadium at Brock Ballpark.