This story was originally published on May 7, 2023.
Momentum swung back and forth between No. 20 Arizona State (29-17, 14-8 Pac-12) and No. 7 Stanford (30-16, 17-6 Pac-12) in a slugfest 12-11 win for the Cardinal in Saturday night’s second game of the series.
In a game that saw 23 runs scored and 28 hits between two of the top 20 programs in the nation, it was a contest of offensive power between the two teams. The base paths saw 39 total runners between the two as both pitching staffs struggled to collect outs.
Ironically, it was a ground ball double play in the top of the eighth that scored the runner from third for the Cardinal that pushed the perennial powerhouse over the edge tonight in the desert.
“At the end of the day, we’re neck and neck with these guys,” Willie Bloomquist said. “We’re close. We’re not there yet, but in the last two games we’re right with them (Stanford). It’s a bounce here or there, it’s a pitch here or there or it’s one big at bat here or there and we’re coming away with a couple wins.”
Junior right handed pitcher Kristian Curtis got the nod today, hoping to set the tone. The Sun Devil starters have been lackluster of late after a disappointing Oregon series which saw starters give up 14 runs over the span of three games.
Curtis’ day began from the second batter of the game when Stanford Junior third baseman Tommy Troy hit a towering home run that nicked off the light pole just left of the batter’s eye. He rounded the bases in silence as Stanford took an early 1-0 lead with fans still filing into a sunkissed Phoenix Municipal Stadium in the early evening.
Curtis struggled to find his breaking ball early in the evening, leading to a one-pitch predictability from the hard-throwing righty.
“Today he wasn’t as crisp with his offspeed,” sophomore catcher Ryan Campos said. “He left a couple pitches up but you got to tip your cap to them (Stanford). They didn’t miss them.”
In the top of the second inning sophomore designated hitter Jake Sapien blasted a long home run to left to double the Cardinal lead. The 440 foot home run was Stanford’s second hit on the night and second home run. Stanford was on Curtis’ pitches early as aggressive foul balls were ripped by Stanford’s dugout.
“To beat these better teams, you have to be able to limit damage and get guys off your fastball,” Bloomquist said. “ You need to be able to locate your breaking stuff when you need to. They’re clearly a pretty good fastball hitting team.”
Arizona State began its hitting parade in the bottom half of the second when junior second baseman Luke Keaschall met a high fastball for the Sun Devils first hit, pelting the batter’s eye and cutting the Stanford lead in half. According to Bloomquist, Keaschall had been ‘sick as a dog’ the last two days, almost not earning a start in the field in tonight’s game.
Later in the inning, Contrades dropped in a single and swiped second base. After a ground ball advanced Contrades, he trotted home when freshman center fielder Isaiah Jackson doubled off the base of the wall in right center field, just below the scoreboard. The game was back to even, each team scoring two runs coming from three hits.
A sequence filled with young talent then ensued. Freshman left fielder Kien Vu walked which brought up fellow freshman right fielder Nick McLain. McLain rolled a ball through the left side of the infield against the shift which scored Jackson.
Freshman shortstop Luke Hill then skied a ball to right field that seemed like an innocent fly out to end the inning. Stanford right fielder, sophomore Braden Montgomery, kept drifting from the grass to the warning track, before eventually he touched the wall and watched the ball sail over his head. The three run home run lifted Phoenix Muni fans to their feet and extended the Sun Devil lead to four.
The bottom of the third was led off by another Keaschall home run. The low pitch was golfed into the Stanford bullpen giving him his second home run of the night.
“That kid comes to play,” Bloomquist said. “No matter if he’s sick, wounded or hurt. I think in today’s day in age that’s very tough to find.”
With Keaschall’s two home run night, he claimed the Pac-12 lead in home runs with 16. He is also one of only four players in the country with 20 doubles and 10 home runs. Keaschall now bats an impressive .370 on the year with 50 runs batted in.
“He’s just a baseball player,” said Bloomquist. “He’s a character guy, loves the game. Again, I don’t know too many other guys that would play with his intensity.”
In the top of the fourth, a deep fly ball off the bat of junior second baseman Drew Bowser sparked the Cardinal bats. His deep drive into the dry night sky began a hit barrage for Stanford. Three consecutive singles off Curtis led to another run and cut the lead to two. A double down the left field line scored another run and gave Stanford its fifth consecutive hit. Curtis exited the game in the top of the fourth.
Curtis’ final stat line finished as 3.0 IP, 8 H, 8 ER, with one strikeout on 63 pitches.
Sophomore right handed pitcher Jonah Gilbin entered the game. On the first pitch of his night, junior first baseman Carter Graham whacked a double in the left-center gap and scored three more Cardinal runs. A sharply hit comebacker deflected off Gilbin’s black leather and dribbled into shallow left field giving the Cardinal a two run lead and the seventh run in the inning.
“We have to be able to locate,” Bloomquist said. “If we can’t, we’re going to give up big numbers like we did today. At the end of the day, you can get away with that against other teams, but against top 10 teams like them, you can’t.”
The bottom of the fourth began with when Vu singled on a drag bunt down the third base line to ignite a Sun Devil response. McLain beat out an infield single and Vu advanced to third. Hill reached on a fielder’s choice after the call at first base was overturned after replay.
With the bases loaded after a walk, sophomore first baseman Jacob Tobias blooped a single over the head of the Stanford shortstop to score one run and tie the game at nine. A strikeout and ground out gave Stanford the two outs they needed.
The bottom of the fifth began with a double into right field from Jackson. An effective out advanced Jackson to third as McLain hit a sacrifice fly to center field to bring in Jackson and give the Sun Devils the lead 10-9.
The back and forth madness would continue in the top of the sixth, Troy led off the inning with a double, giving Stanford the fifth double of the night. A scorching ground ball off Graham’s bat skipped off the glove of Hill and rolled into shallow center field. Troy raced around third and scored to tie the game yet again at 10.
Stanford took the lead again with a single up the middle later in the inning from junior left fielder Alberto Rios.
In the bottom of the sixth, sophomore catcher Ryan Campos led off the inning by singling to left field. Campos would later swipe second base and advance to third on a passed ball. Freshman third baseman Nu’u Contrades drew a walk. On a steal attempt, Contrades wisely stayed in a rundown between first and second base as Campos ran home to score and tie the game.
The third out of the top of the seventh was made by a stellar flash of the leather by Jackson. Jackson crawled up to the wall as Troy sent a high fly ball to the deepest region of the ballpark. Jackson leaped up and snagged the potential lead changing home run and received a healthy ovation from the fans as the Sun Devils jogged off the field.
“We’ve become numb to it,” Bloomquist said. “It honestly didn’t surprise me. He has a beat on it the whole way and he’s made some tremendous catches out in center field all year long.”
In the top of the eighth, Stanford’s Graham singled up the middle to begin a Cardinal rally. Two passed balls advanced him to third. A 6-4-3 double play gave Arizona State two outs in the inning, but scored Stanford their 12th run of the game as the lead swung back in the Cardinal favor.
The momentum extinguished any sort of flame for the Sun Devils as they would go out quietly in the eighth and ninth innings.
“I can’t complain about the character and effort of our team,” Bloomquist said. “They’re playing their butts off right now. They’ve come up a little short the last two days but they’re hanging right with them (Stanford).”
Arizona State will try to salvage a game in the finale of the series at 12:30 p.m. tomorrow from Phoenix Municipal stadium.
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