Box Score March 12, 2016 Box Score
PHOENIX - Junior right-hander Justin Mullins pitched a quality start and redshirt freshman Robert Garcia spun 4.2 scoreless innings of relief, but a bases-loaded walk in the 12th inning lifted Arizona State past UC Davis, 4-3, in non-conference collegiate baseball action at Phoenix Municipal Stadium Saturday night.
The Aggies slip to 5-9 for the season. The Sun Devils improve to 12-3 overall. This is the second consecutive meeting of a three-game series settled in extra frames, including Friday's 6-5 ASU win in the 11th.
Mullins scattered four hits and allowed three earned runs in his 6.1 innings of work. Garcia extends his streak of innings without an earned run to 21. He gave up four hits and struck out five in his no-decision appearance. Sun Devil right-hander Seth Martinez fanned eight Aggies in eight complete innings before giving way to reliever Jordan Aboites after one batter in the ninth.
Junior first baseman Mason Novak rapped out a pair of hits while catcher Logan Denholm and outfielders Alex Aguiar and Tanner Bily each drove in runs for UC Davis. ASU junior first baseman David Greer led his team offensively with a 3-for-5 performance and an RBI.
Mullins and Garcia walked only one Sun Devil in their 11 combined innings of work, but ASU drew four passes in its 12th to bring in the game-winning run.
The Sun Devils put up two tallies in the third inning, as freshman Gage Canning reached on a third-strike wild pitch, advanced to third on a Jeremy McCuin base hit to center, then scored on a force play a batter later. ASU made it 2-0 after Andrew Shaps, who reached on that force out, stole second then came home on Greer's two-strike double.
UC Davis managed only one baserunner through the first five frames, with Martinez hitting Brad Pluschkell with a pitch in the third. The Aggie offense eventually broke open in the sixth, as Pluschkell and left fielder Alex Aguiar drove back-to-back doubles to left. Aguiar promptly swiped third, then equalized on Bily's RBI single. A double steal on Martinez' eighth strikeout of the game placed both Bily and shortstop Jacob Thomas in scoring position with two down, but Martinez escaped with no further damage.
ASU regained the lead in its half of the sixth. After a pair of infield pop-ups, Sun Devil junior Sebastian Zawada homered to left on a 2-2 offering.
Martinez continued to put away the UC Davis batters, fanning the side in the seventh and retiring the Aggies in order in the eighth, until surrendering Cameron Olson's leadoff single in the ninth. Martinez then gave way to ASU senior Jordan Aboites. Ryan Anderson poked a first-pitch single to left, advancing Chris Roppolo, who pinch ran for Olson, around to third. Denholm flied to center, deep enough to plate Roppolo for the 3-3 tie.
Guillermo Salazar, who pinch hit for center fielder Alex Roeser, also singled to set up runners at the corners. Like Denholm just two batters later, Aggie first baseman Mason Novak lifted a fly ball to center, with a chance to sacrifice Anderson for the go-ahead. However, Shaps, a converted southpaw pitcher, gunned down the would-be scorer on an 8-2 baserunner kill.
Arizona State put at a runner in scoring position in each of its ninth and 10th innings, but each time Garcia punched out the next batter to end the inning. UC Davis also had further chances to regain the lead, but Roppolo was caught stealing on a strikeout double play in the 11th, and Novak was stranded at second after his two-out double in the 12th.
In the bottom half of that 12th, now facing Aggie freshman Joey Chapman, McCuin and Greer both walked to set up another Sun Devil scoring opportunity. ASU shortstop Colby Woodmansee and catcher Brian Serven collectively watched eight straight balls to bring in the winning run.
Sophomore Ryan Hingst, who relieved Aboites in the 11th, picked up the relief win. Chapman picked up his first loss of the year.
UC Davis and ASU conclude the weekend series with a 12:30 first pitch on Sunday.
| UC Davis (5-9) | 000 | 002 | 001 | 000 | - | 3 | 9 | 2 |
| Arizona State (12-3) | 002 | 001 | 000 | 001 | - | 4 | 8 | 1 |
Justin Mullins, Robert Garcia (7), Joey Chapman (12) and Logan Denholm. Seth Martinez, Jordan Aboites (9), Ryan Hingst (11) and Brian Serven. Win - Hingst, 1-0. Loss - Chapman, 0-1. Save - none.
Hitters - UC DAVIS: Alex Aguiar, 1x5, 2B, RBI; Tanner Bily, 1x4, RBI; Cameron Olson, 1x4; Chris Roppolo, 1x1; Ryan Anderson, 1x5; Logan Denholm, 0x4, RBI; Guillermo Salazar, 1-1; Mason Novak, 2x5, 2B; Brad Pluschkell, 1x4, 2B. ASU: Jeremy McCuin, 1x5; Andrew Shaps, 1x6, RBI; David Greer, 3x5, 2B, RBI; Colby Woodmansee, 1x5; Brian Serven, 0x5, RBI; Sebastian Zawada, 1x5, HR, RBI; Andrew Snow, 1x5.
