Five-run inning fuels baseball to 9-6 win over Cal

The 14th-ranked Arizona State baseball team won its first home Pac-12 conference series with a 9-6 win over Cal, March 25, at Packard Stadium in Tempe, Ariz. The Sun Devils won on March 23 before losing the March 24 game to take the series, 2-1.

The Devils (15-8, 3-3), trailing by three runs heading into the bottom half of the sixth inning, answered with five runs in the frame, highlighted by a three-run double to right field by Deven Marrero, to regain the lead for good. Ten batters came to the plate as ASU also secured runs on an RBI single by Andrew Aplin and an RBI sacrifice fly by Trever Allen.

Right-hander Robert Ravago (1-0) retired all four batters he faced in relief, including a perfect seventh inning, to earn his first win of the season and his first as a Sun Devil. Right-hander Jake Barrett (3) got the save after closing out the ninth inning.

Cal's Michael Theofanopoul (1-3) took the loss after surrendering the first two runs in the Devils' five-run inning.

Right-hander Darin Gillies, who tied his career-long with five innings, gave up three earned runs on seven hits while striking out two in a no-decision.

Cal's starting left-hander Kyle Porter lasted three innings in a no-decision, giving up three runs, including two unearned, on three hits and three walks.

The Golden Bears (13-9, 1-5) jumped out to an early two-run lead in the opening frame on a pair of RBI singles by Chadd Krist and Andrew Knapp.

The Sun Devils brought the deficit to within one in the second inning as Max Rossiter scored James McDonald, who reached base on an error, with an RBI single through the left side.

Consecutive RBI groundouts by Joey DeMichele and Abe Ruiz put the Devils on top, 3-2, in the bottom of the third inning. Aplin walked to start the inning and Marrero followed with a double to put runners on second and third before both crossed the plate on groundouts in the next two at-bats.

Tony Renda hit a home run in the top of the fifth inning to tie the game at three runs apiece. Cal regained the lead, 6-3, in the next frame with three runs on three hits, including an RBI double to center field and a pair of RBI singles.

DeMichele led off the eighth inning with a solo home run to right field to stretch the Devils' lead to three, 9-6.

The Sun Devils host Cal State Fullerton for a two-game series March 27-28, with both games set for a 6:30 p.m. (PT) start at Packard Stadium. They then travel to Eugene, Ore., to take on the Oregon Ducks for three games. The first contest will begin at 6 p.m. (PT), the March 31 game is slated for 2 p.m. (PT) and the April 1 game is slated for noon (PT).

All five games will be broadcast live on KDUS The Fan 1060 Am, with Tim Healey and Seth Dhaenens on the call, and the two games against Cal State Fullerton will be webcast live on FoxSportsArizona.com.