(Photo: Dominic Cotroneo/WCSN)
The importance of winning the opening conference series cannot be stressed enough for Arizona State (12-6, 2-1), especially when playing the defending conference champions.
Fortunately for the Sun Devils, they were able to capitalize on the ineffectiveness of Oregon State’s bullpen in the late innings and win the rubber match on Sunday by a score of 7-4.
“It’s always big to win a series,” reliever Jordan Aboites said. “I thought we did a great job responding. Obviously it was a tough loss on Friday and a really good win yesterday. To be down the whole game and come back in the late innings, I think that says a lot about our team.”
Down two runs in the seventh inning, the constantly-clutch Colby Woodmansee ripped a two-out, two-run single off OSU reliever Luke Heimlich that tied the game at four to start the comeback.
The Sun Devils then poured on in the bottom of the 8th. A single, a walk and an error allowed them to load the bases. David Greer was then hit by a pitch before second baseman Andrew Snow (who received the start in place of Aboites) drove in the two go-ahead runs with a single.
“It felt great to come out there and have a chance to win it today,” Snow said. “I was just trying to hit the ball hard and help us win.”
For the second consecutive week, Brett Lilek took the mound in the Sunday starter role.
After posting a 2.68 ERA last season, Lilek has had trouble regaining his 2014 form, and Sunday was no different.
The left-hander struggled through just four innings, allowing five hits and two earned runs, ballooning his ERA to 4.84. Command was a problem for him again, as 29 of his 68 pitches were balls.
Aboites relieved Lilek and went four critical innings, an extended relief role for the junior that was his first since March 7.
The right-hander Aboites was able to escape a major threat in the fifth, pitching through a bases-loaded no-outs situation and coming away unscathed thanks to a quick-reflex stab that doubled off the runner at first base.
“I was just pitching to contact,” Aboites said. “I was just trusting my stuff and trusting my defense. It’s a lot easier to get a double play than two strikeouts or two flyouts.”
The infield abilities have worked in Aboites favor when he has had to field his position while pitching, and Tracy Smith has inserted him into situations accordingly.
“He’s a weapon in situations when you need to field your position and do different things,” Smith said. “But more importantly he is a competitor and you want a guy who is competitive in those situations and is not going to back down.”
Aboites then turned the ball over to closer Ryan Burr, who shut the door in the ninth. With two more strikeouts on Sunday, Burr now has a whopping 27 in 13 and 2/3 innings.
ASU will play a home game against New Mexico on Wednesday before embarking on its first road trip of the season against Oregon next weekend.
