Husky Comeback Spoiled By Walk Off Home Run

Friday, May 3

Phoenix, AZ

6:30 PM

University of Washington

17-21, 8-14

Arizona State

25-22, 13-12

Washington

Arizona State

May 03, 2024 | Baseball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

PHOENIX – Washington battled back to send Friday's series opener at Arizona State to extras but ultimately lost in heartbreaking fashion, falling 11-7 on a walk off grand slam at Phoenix Municipal Stadium.

Grant Cunningham took the loss. Starter Jared Engman faced just two batters, exiting due to injury.

Some sloppy play in the opening frame came back to bite Washington as an error during the inning's opening at-bat ended up allowing the Sun Devils to score four runs.

Hitless through four, Washington came alive in the fifth. Colin Blanchard punched a one-out single to right field before Sam DeCarlo halved the deficit with a single swing, crushing a two-run bomb into the Husky bullpen in left.

Arizona State answered with a run in the home half but the Huskies punched right back with the deep ball in the sixth. Braeden Terry hooked a leadoff blast inside the right field foul pole and Cam Clayton hammered a solo shot off the batter's eye in center, making it a one-run ball game.

Down to their final three outs, the Huskies rallied in the ninth to keep the game alive. Cooper Whitton led off with a single up the middle, moving up on Blanchard's sac bunt.

In need of a clutch knock, Jason Kelly called upon Dylan Osborne to pinch hit and the freshman came through, stinging a single past the diving first baseman to score Whitton and deadlock the game at five runs apiece.

The dramatics didn't end there. Kelly made the move to his closer to start the home half, and a walk, sacrifice and single put the winning run 90 feet away. The righty issued an intentional walk to load the bases before fanning Nick McLain and inducing a Jacob Tobias fly ball to escape.

Entering extras for the second time in three games, AJ Guerrero led off with a single and Jeter Ybarra's towering fly ball with a 51-degree launch angle kept going and going, just clearing the fence to give the Huskies their first lead of the game.

But the Sun Devils had an answer, countering with six runs in the bottom half of the 10^th, winning on a walk off grand slam.

Washington and Arizona State will square off in a rematch at 6:30 p.m. PT on Saturday. The game will be available on both Pac-12 Arizona and Pac-12 Washington.

DAWG BITES
• Cam Clayton extended his hitting streak to 13 games
• Aiva Arquette had his 17-game hitting streak snapped
• Braeden Terry's sixth inning home run was the first of his career
• Washington's four errors were a season-high

For more information on the UW baseball team, follow @UW_Baseball on Twitter and Instagram.