Baseball's season ends with 6-1 Regional loss to Cal State Fullerton
Right-hander Josh McAlister turned in a career performance, but the Arizona State University baseball team could not overcome an early deficit in a 6-1 loss to No. 5 national seed Cal State Fullerton on June 2 in an elimination game at the Fullerton Regional in Fullerton, Calif.
The Sun Devils, playing in their third game in the past 24 hours, fell behind by five runs early as Fullerton notched three runs in the first and two in the second.
ASU's first matchup against Fullerton the night before did not end until nearly 1 a.m. and they played an elimination game against Columbia at 4 p.m. this afternoon before taking on the Titans at 8 p.m.
McAlister, who tossed one scoreless frame in the eighth inning of the Devils' win over Columbia earlier in the day, gave up just three hits and did not allow a run in 5 1/3 innings of relief. Overall, McAlister threw 6 1/3 scoreless innings on Sunday.
The Devils finished the season at 37-22-1, including 16-14 in the Pac-12 and 2-2 in the postseason.
The first five runners who scored for the Titans reached base on either a walk or a hit-by-pitch.
Starting left-hander Adam McCreery (2-4) walked five of the first eight batters he faced in the top of the first inning and gave up a two-run single to center fielder Michael Lorenzen as the Titans opened the game with three runs on one hit.
McCreery induced a groundout to begin the second, but hit and walked the next two batters, and was replaced by McAlister. The Titans plated a pair on an RBI single and a sacrifice bunt before McAlister coerced a flyout to end the frame.
ASU scored its first run of the night in the bottom of the fourth after catcher Max Rossiterknocked a triple to center field and was plated two batters later on an RBI single by right fielder Trever Allen.
Fullerton added one run in the eighth off right-hander Ryan Burr, who allowed just two hits over the final 2 1/3 innings.
Titans starting right-hander Thomas Eshelman (12-2) earned the win after allowing one run on six hits in eight innings.
Postseason Notes:
Head coach Tim Esmay: 11-6 all-time in the postseason, including 8-2 in regional play
All-time: 167-72*
* Postseason appearance and victories in 2007 later vacated due to NCAA sanctions. Numbers do not reflect vacations.
FULLERTON REGIONAL SCHEDULE
Friday, May 31, 2013
Game 1: 4 p.m. PT - Arizona State 4, New Mexico 3
Game 2: 8 p.m. PT - No. 5 Cal State Fullerton 4, Columbia 1
Saturday, June 1, 2013
Game 3: 4 p.m. PT - Columbia 6, New Mexico 5 (13)
Game 4: 9:45 p.m. PT - No. 5 Cal State Fullerton 1, Arizona State 0
Sunday, June 2, 2013
Game 5: 4 p.m. PT - Arizona State 10, Columbia 5
Game 6: 8 p.m. PT - No. 5 Cal State Fullerton 6, Arizona State 1