To be the best, you have to beat the best. That was the case for Arizona State baseball, who visited No. 5 Oregon State this weekend.
The Sun Devils arrived in Corvallis riding a five-game win streak and knocking on the door of playoff contention in recent NCAA tournament projections.
But they could not carry the momentum throughout their time in the Beaver State. After two losses to start the series, the Maroon and Gold (15-17, 6-9 in Pac-12) dropped the finale 9-7 to the hosts (26-4, 8-3 in Pac-12) at Goss Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
Arizona State head coach Willie Bloomquist called upon sophomore Ben Jacobs to be the starting pitcher. While the lefty made his 13th appearance this season, it was only his third as a starter.
Jacobs went at least four innings in each of his previous starts. But Bloomquist pulled the UCLA transfer after 2.1 innings and 71 pitches. Jacobs allowed eight hits, seven earned runs, and two walks while tallying three strikeouts.
Oregon State’s starting pitcher, freshman Eric Segura, also had a subpar outing. In 3 innings on the mound, he threw 47 pitches and allowed seven hits and five earned runs while logging two strikeouts.
After Jacobs allowed the first four runs of the game, the Sun Devils rallied in the third inning with two outs. Junior catcher Ryan Campos, who was Sunday’s lead-off hitter, singled. Then, sophomore outfielder Kien Vu hit his second home run of the season to cut the lead in half. Graduate infielder Eamonn Lance cut the Beavers’ lead to one with a looping RBI single.
The Sun Devils tied the game with a delayed steal that sent Lance home while junior infielder Jacob Tobias was tagged out at second base.
Oregon State responded in the bottom of the third with a two-run dinger over the left field wall from junior infielder Elijah Hainline. Canon Reeder made the score 7-4 in favor of the Beavers off an RBI single.
Once again, the Sun Devils rallied to tie the game in the fourth inning. After Segura allowed a Brandon Compton double to start the frame, he was replaced by fellow freshman pitcher Laif Palmer. The righty failed to close out the inning, as he allowed a two-run triple from Campos before Vu tied the game at 7.
Afterward, both teams struggled to score runs despite coming close. Arizona State escaped a bases-loaded jam to end the fourth, while Oregon State did so in the top of the sixth.
For the Sun Devils, that defensive stability came from Jacobs’ replacement: junior Ryan Schiefer. The righty pitched 4.2 innings, logging seven strikeouts. He also only allowed six hits and three walks.
But Schiefer allowed two runs during his stint, which caused Oregon State to retake the lead. The Beavers’ lone pinch hitter, junior catcher Wilson Weber, hit an RBI single in the bottom of the sixth. The hosts led 9-7 an inning later from a sophomore outfielder Gavin Turley solo home run.
Junior righty Bridger Holmes logged his sixth save of the season as the Beavers remained unbeaten at home.
The Beavers outhit the Sun Devils 14-12. But Arizona State left 10 players on base while Oregon State left nine.
Bloomquist’s bottom of the order faltered, finishing 0-for-6 combined, which included going 0-for-2 in the ninth inning.
Arizona State returns to the Valley for a trip to crosstown rival GCU (16-15) on Tuesday at 6 p.m. The Maroon and Gold took the first meeting this season: a 9-8 come-from-behind win at the friendly confines of Phoenix Municipal Stadium.
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