University of Washington
Arizona State
Husky Rally Falls Short As ASU Wins 6-5 In 10 Innings
April 20, 2015 | Baseball
SEATTLE – The Huskies hit solo home runs in the eighth and ninth innings to force extra innings against No. 7 Arizona State Sunday at Husky Ballpark, but the Sun Devils scored in the 10th to earn a 6-5 win and send a season-high crowd of 1,286 home disappointed.
The loss was the Huskies' (21-16, 7-11 Pac-12) seventh by one-run in Pac-12 play, while Arizona State (25-11, 13-5) won its sixth Conference series in six tries and climbed within a game of first-place UCLA.
Washington trailed 5-3 entering the home half of the eighth inning, but second baseman Josh Cushing cut ASU's lead in half with a homer the opposite way off Eder Erives.
Austin Rei tied the game up in the ninth, hitting a rocket-shot to left-centerfield with one out off ASU closer Ryan Burr. It was Rei's second homer of the year and first since returning this weekend after missing the previous 29 games with a left-hand injury.
The joy was short-lived for the Huskies though, as designated hitter RJ Ybarra hit a single off Troy Rallings (3-2) to lead off the 10th inning. Pinch-runner David Graybill was sacrificed to second and came around to score with one out when pinch-hitter Zach Cerbo doubled into the right-center gap.
Burr took the mound once again with a lead in the bottom of the 10th, but this time he was able to slam the door shut. He allowed a lead-off single to Will Sparks, and pinch-runner Matt Jackson was able to get all the way to third with two outs on a wild pitch and throwing error. But Burr (7-1) struck out Braden Bishop looking to end the game and pick up his seventh win of the season.
“It's a tough one to lose,” said Husky Coach Lindsay Meggs. “(I am) disappointed for our guys because this is a good team, and we stood toe-to-toe with them for 27 innings, and in my opinion, we should have won the series. We had a chance to even win all three games.
“I feel for our guys because we're so close,” he continued. “We're just a base hit away, or a play away, and it is going to happen at some point in time, then hopefully we can get on a roll.”
Long before the exciting finish to the game, Arizona State wasted little time roughing up Husky starter Ryan Schmitten. The junior right-hander struck out Jake Peevyhouse to start the game, but the Sun Devils strung together four-straight singles to grab the 1-0 first inning lead.
Schmitten did not make it out of the second. After Ryan Lilliard singled and advanced to second on a wild pick-off attempt at first, Andrew Snow doubled down the right-field line, sending Lilliard around to score and ending the day for Schmitten after facing nine hitters.
Reliever Spencer Jones stranded Snow at second, which proved to be important as Washington was able to answer in the bottom of the inning and take the lead.
Alex Schmidt got the scoring started for the Huskies by leading off with a home run on a 1-0 pitch by ASU starter Brett Lilek. It was his fifth of the year and had little doubt off the crack of the bat.
The Huskies kept the pressure on as Cushing followed Schmidt's homer with a single and Sparks doubled to put two runners in scoring position. After a wild pitch scored Cushing, catcher Joey Morgan grounded out to short, scoring Sparks and giving the Huskies the 3-2 lead.
The score remained the same until Sun Devils catcher Brian Serven homered off Jones in the fifth to tie the game at 3-3. It was the only blemish of the day for Jones, who struck out eight in his four innings.
In the sixth, Arizona State re-took the lead off the Huskies third pitcher of the game Brandon Choate. Trever Allen doubled to lead off the inning and eventually came around to score on a ground out that made it 4-3. Rallings would work out of a bases-loaded jam to get out of the inning.
ASU tacked on another run in the eighth to take the two run lead. Chris Beall hit a two-out double that scored Snow to make it 5-3.
Washington rallied with the two late-inning homers, but it ultimately proved to be too little. The Huskies have now homered three times in a game in four out of their last six games.
The Huskies had 11 hits on the day, led by Rei's 3 for 5 performance. Cushing and Sparks each had two hits.
Branden Berry had a fifth-inning single to extend his career-high hit streak to 16 games.
The Huskies return to action Tuesday against Seattle U at Bannerwood Park in Bellevue. First pitch is schedule for 5 p.m.
UW picks Pac-12 action back up next Friday through Sunday at Oregon. All three games will be televised by the Pac-12 Networks.
#7 Arizona State 6, Washington 5 (10 innings)
ASU 110 011 010 1 –- 6 12 1
UW 030 000 011 0 –- 5 11 2
LOB: ASU 11, UW 11. Ryan Schmitten, Spencer Jones (2), Brandon Choate (6), Troy Rallings (6) and Joey Morgan; Brett Lilek, Eder Erives (5), Eric Melbostad (8), Ryan Burr and Brian Serven. W – Burr (7-1). L – Rallings (3-2). Sv – none. HR – ASU, Brian Serven (5); UW, Alex Schmidt (5), Josh Cushing (2). 3B – none. 2B – ASU, Andrew Snow, Trever Allen, Chris Beall, Zach Cerbo; UW, Will Sparks. Time – 3:26. Attendance – 1,286.
