FROM CBB NEWS SOURCES
Fresno State 8 Arizona State 6
It was a night of missed opportunities for Arizona State, as the Sun Devils fell 8-6 to Fresno State in Game 2 of the Tempe Super Regional in front of an above-capacity crowd of 4,423 at Winkles Field-Packard Stadium at Brock Ballpark. ASU falls to 49-12 on the season and now faces Game 3 tomorrow against the Bulldogs, with the winner advancing to the College World Series.
Playing as the designated visiting team, the Sun Devils stranded 12 runners, including leaving the bases loaded twice, in losing for the first time this postseason.
Fresno State took the early lead with a two-run home run by Steve Detwiler in the bottom of the second off ASU starting pitcher Josh Satow, but the Sun Devils quickly rallied back with three runs in the top of the third. Greg Bordes drove in two runs with a triple to right center and Jason Kipnis had an RBI single to put ASU in front, but the Devils missed a chance to add more in the inning, after loading the bases with one out.
ASU scored twice more in the fourth, with an RBI single by Ryan Sontag and a sacrifice fly by Brett Wallace, but the Sun Devils again left two runners on in the inning.
Fresno State then delivered the crushing blow with five runs in the bottom of the inning, all coming with two outs. Danny Grubb had an RBI single off Satow, who was replaced by Stephen Sauer with the bases loaded, and Gavin Hedstrom, the first batter Sauer faced, then hit a grand slam to left center to give the Bulldogs a lead they would never relinquish.
The Devils did cut their deficit to one with a sacrifice fly by Kipnis in the sixth, but Ike Davis hit into an inning-ending double play with two runners on base.
ASU had its best chance to tie the score in the top of the eighth, but Kipnis struck out with runners on second and third with one out, and then after Wallace was intentionally walked, Davis grounded into a fielder’s choice to end the inning and again leave the bases loaded.
Fresno State added a run in the bottom of the eighth, and the Devils threatened again in the ninth, putting runners on second and third with one out before Raoul Torrez grounded out and Bordes flew out to center to end the game.
Satow went 3.2 innings and allowed six runs to take the loss and fall to 9-4. Fresno State’s Holden Sprague came on from the bullpen to get the win and Brandon Burke earned his 12th save with 3.2 scoreless innings of relief.
Bordes and Torrez led the ASU offense with three hits each, with Sontag and Kipnis adding two hits apiece in the game. The Sun Devils 3-6 hitters – Wallace, Davis, Kiel Roling and Paramore – went a combined 2-for-15 with five strikeouts in the game.
Game 3 between the Sun Devils and Bulldogs is tomorrow at 4 p.m. at Winkles Field-Packard Stadium at Brock Ballpark. Arizona State will be the designated home team tomorrow.
