(Tempe, AZ) – Arizona State opened Pac-10 play with a relentless offensive attack Friday night, as a sellout crowd of 4,371 witnessed the Sun Devils defeat the Trojans 16 to 5 at Winkles Field – Packard Stadium at Brock Ballpark. The Devils were impressive on offense from the start as they managed to get the leadoff hitter aboard safely and bring him home in each of the first five innings as the Devils built a 16 to 3 lead, before the Trojans scored a final two in the top of the eighth.
Josh Satow started well for the Sun Devils, but ran into trouble in the top of the fifth as he gave up three runs in the inning before being replaced by Tommy Rafferty who prevented additional damage and got credit for the win. Seth Blair pitched the final three innings and received credit for a save. Grant Green gave the Sun Devil pitching the hardest time as he went 3 for 5 including two doubles, two RBI’s and scored once. Joe De Pinto was the only other Trojan to record a multi hit game as he went 2 for 5 with a single, a double, a RBI and scored twice.
Tommy Milone started the game for the Trojans but his impressive 1.67 ERA didn’t scare the Devils and he took the loss. In the first Jason Kipnis led off with a single and came in to score the games first run on a Petey Paramore single through the right side. Next in the second Raoul Torrez singled through the left side and came home as the next batter Rocky Laguna doubled to the wall in right center.
In the third inning the first batter Brett Wallace reached safely, as he took one for the team by being hit by a pitch. Paramore singled next and Kiel Roling followed by placing a perfect bunt and therefore reached safely. Next Marcel Champagnie singled to bring home the first run of the inning and Torrez followed with a sacrifice bunt to bring home another run. Trojans first baseman Derek Perren snagged a Laguna laser on the fly that prevented further damage.
Kipnis started the fourth inning off with a single, and Ike Davis followed with a double. Wallace followed by driving in Kipnis and Paramore singled to bring home Davis. The Trojans then threw the ball around trying to pick Wallace off second and a series of overthrows and errors brought Wallace and Paramore home for two additional runs.
The Sun Devils blew the game open in the bottom of the fifth as the Trojans went to the bullpen multiple times without success. Jordan Hershiser replaced Milone to start the inning and walked the first two batters he faced. But another impressive play by Perren at first helped his team as he robbed Kipnis of extra bases by snagging another laser shot. But that was it for Hershiser as Daniel Cooper came in to pitch next. However, Cooper was just as ineffective as he was roughed up by a Davis double, an intentional walk to Wallace, another walk to Paramore, a Roling double that cleared the bases, another walk to Torrez and after a Laguna single that was it for him. Chris Mezger became the third pitcher of the inning and he was greeted by a Ryan Sontag triple to center field wall. But Mezger got Kipnis to strike out stop the onslaught.
As a whole the Sun Devils and Trojans combined for 27 hits, 14 walks and 3 plunked batters. Paramore was the big hitter for the Devils going 4 for 5 with three runs scored and two RBI’s. Kipnis, Roling, Laguna and Davis also had multi hit games while both of Ike’s hits were doubles.
