Sun Devils split pair of pitching duels in road trip at UCLA

February 26, 2025 Logan Brown Baseball, Inferno Intel 0

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ASU split its first road series of the season against UCLA. (Zina Garcia/Inferno Intel)

In Arizona State’s (7-2) first taste of action away from Tempe this season, the bats didn’t seem to make the trip. But the bullpen did, helping the Sun Devils secure a series split in a two-game set with former Pac-12 foe UCLA (7-2) in Los Angeles.

ASU scored just six runs in the two games. The Sun Devils have scored at least six runs in six of their seven home games to open the season. Senior first baseman Jacob Tobias turned in a standout performance in game one of the series, collecting four RBIs, but watched his 32-game on-base streak come to an end in Game Two.

GAME ONE

While the ASU bullpen was excellent, the Sun Devils’ offense couldn’t overcome early mistakes in the field, resulting in an 8-4 loss in their first road game.

ASU opened the scoring in the series in the opening frame. Redshirt sophomore left fielder Brandon Compton hit a double to generate some two-out thunder for the Sun Devils. Tobias came through with a flare RBI single to left to take a 1-0 lead.

In his first career start, Arizona State freshman left-handed pitcher Easton Barrett didn’t get much help from his supporting cast in the field. UCLA stole three bases in the bottom half of the second inning, and an error by Tobias led to a sacrifice bunt to tie the game by Bruin sophomore catcher Cashel Dugger. ASU redshirt junior second baseman Kyle Walker made a diving stop in the at-bat that followed but dropped the ball before he could make the inning-ending out, giving UCLA the lead.

The Bruins bolstered the rally with a 2-run home run to right by sophomore left fielder Dean West to make it a 4-1 lead after two innings.

Six outs were all that Barrett got in his first start. He surrendered four unearned runs while striking out two Bruins.

Tobias was the sole source of offense in Game One, picking up four hits and all four RBIs. Tobias doubled in the third inning to cash in two runs and later homered in the sixth inning. The four-hit performance extended Tobias’ on-base streak to 32 games dating back to last season.

Sun Devil sophomore right-handed pitcher Rohan Lettow took over for the middle innings, but another quick scoring burst by UCLA was the difference maker in the game. In the fourth inning, Lettow’s second and final inning of work, the bottom two Bruins in the lineup jump-started a rally with a pair of base hits. Lettow then hit leadoff batter West with a pitch to load the bases. UCLA sophomore shortstop Roch Cholowsky subsequently pumped a hanging breaking ball into left field for a grand slam, taking an 8-3 lead.

Arizona State couldn’t muster more than three hits after the third inning, though the bullpen was strong, shutting out the Bruins after the fourth inning.

UCLA ultimately claimed game one of the series, 8-4.

GAME TWO

The following afternoon, Arizona State turned in more of the same offensively. Through four innings, UCLA sophomore right-handed starting pitcher Luke Rodriguez faced the minimum in ASU’s lineup. He finished his day after five scoreless innings, punching out four Sun Devils in the process.

On the other end, ASU received a strong showing from two usual members of the bullpen. Sophomore right-hander Derek Schaefer started the game and allowed just two hits in four innings with five strikeouts. Sophomore left-handed pitcher Cole Carlon followed with another three innings of scoreless baseball and five punchouts of his own.

The Sun Devils’ offense couldn’t get anything going until the seventh inning. Freshman designated hitter Landon Hairston drew his second walk of the game with two outs in the inning. Junior center fielder Isaiah Jackson followed and pulled a ball into right field. UCLA junior right fielder Jarrod Hocking took a poor angle and watched the ball sail over his head while Hairston scored and Jackson cruised into second base with an RBI double. 

Moments later, with the bases loaded, freshman second baseman Beckett Zavorek hit a bouncing ball up the middle. UCLA’s middle infield made an incredible stop and attempt to get the rally-ending out at second base, but the shortstop Cholowsky took his foot off the base. That allowed another run to score and gave ASU a 2-0 lead with nine outs to play.

That lead turned out to be all the Sun Devils needed. The Bruins didn’t place a runner in scoring position in the game until the ninth inning when senior right-handed pitcher Will Koger and junior left-handed pitcher Sean Fitzpatrick combined to close out the win. Fitzpatrick earned his first save of the year with a strikeout to end the ballgame.

Since Koger’s blown save last Friday against Oral Roberts, Arizona State’s bullpen has been fantastic. The Sun Devil relievers have strung together 17 scoreless innings in their last 18 innings on the mound.

ASU won with just five hits on Wednesday, while its various arms took on starring roles in the series in Hollywood. The program’s first shutout since March 16, 2024, at Arizona is also its first midweek shutout against a power conference team since 2004.

The Sun Devils will return home on Friday to take on another Big Ten Conference member in Minnesota. Junior left-handed ace Ben Jacobs is slated to take the hill against the Golden Gophers at 6:30 p.m. MST at Phoenix Municipal Stadium.

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