When a number gets put next to your name in the rankings just before rivalry week, you can expect some added pressure at the ballpark.
The Sun Devils started strong in front of a record crowd at Phoenix Municipal Stadium on Friday night but ultimately couldn’t answer the call.
No. 24 Arizona State (20-10, 7-3) couldn’t come through in the clutch against rival Arizona (21-8, 7-3) as the Wildcats roared back in the middle innings to claim the first game of the series 8-5.
Timely hitting led Arizona to big innings in the fifth and seventh. Junior designated hitter Maddox Mihalakis planted a 431-foot two-run homer beyond the performance center in right field to take the lead for good in the Wildcats’ victory.
Devils head coach Willie Bloomquist, a man with his own history in this rivalry, hopes the team can shake the loss quickly.
“We didn’t play poorly tonight,” Bloomquist said. “ We left a couple of pitches over the plate that they didn’t miss … [We] had good at-bats for the most part. It just was one of those nights they scored more runs than we did, and unfortunately, against them, you don’t like to hear that.”
After a solo shot by Arizona’s junior center fielder Aaron Walton in the opening frame, the Sun Devils found a groove in the early going. Junior left-hander Ben Jacobs mowed down the Wildcats’ lineup through five innings, racking up 10 strikeouts. Eight of those strikeouts were off swings-and-misses. Jacobs had complete control of his changeup and splitter below the zone to knock down the Wildcats’ lineup.
Benjamin. Jacobs. Nails.
— Sun Devil Baseball (@ASU_Baseball) April 5, 2025
Two in scoring position with one out and he strands them there to keep it 2-1.
10 punchies through 4. Let's get some runs. pic.twitter.com/gbaXwDEEnx
The ASU offense continued its recent success early in games. Junior third baseman Nu’u Contrades poked an RBI double to right to tie the game in the first inning. Despite the loss, the Sun Devils are now 15-3 this season when scoring in the first inning.
The good swings carried on into the middle innings. The Sun Devils took the lead on a well-executed hit-and-run by freshman right fielder Landon Hairston, who dropped a single into center field to score the stealing redshirt junior second baseman Kyle Walker from second.
Small ball became a winning formula for the Devils in the fourth inning. Junior center fielder Isaiah Jackson knocked an RBI single through the left side. Junior designated hitter Kien Vu followed with an RBI bunt single, pushing Arizona State to its biggest lead of the night, 4-1.
The Wildcats’ bats finally came to life against Jacobs in the fifth inning. After two quick outs, Jacobs issued a walk and hit a batter to give Arizona life. The team down south responded with four straight two-out knocks. That led to four scores in the inning to take a 5-4 lead.
“I thought he was throwing the ball outstanding up until two outs in the fifth,” Bloomquist said in praise of his starter. “I don’t know if he lost a little bit of focus there or what happened.”
The maroon and gold rallied quickly to tie the game. A two-out double by Contrades set the table for the ASU cleanup batter, senior first baseman Jacob Tobias. The veteran traded places with a double of his own down the right field line, scoring Contrades.
Punch for punch.
— Sun Devil Baseball (@ASU_Baseball) April 5, 2025
The veterans do veteran things with back-to-back two-out doubles between Nu'u and Toby.
5-5, through 5.
📺ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/8zbdG6qO98
The Wildcats rallied again in the seventh. Arizona scored three times thanks to an RBI triple and a moonshot home run by Mihalakis. The team from Tucson reclaimed an 8-5 lead, as tensions between the rival dugouts grew. Both teams were issued warnings in the inning.
ASU couldn’t muster anything offensively down the stretch as the Wildcats held on to claim the series opener. The big difference was Arizona’s two-out approach, hitting 7-for-14 in such situations to extend innings.
In front of a record-setting crowd, Bloomquist is hopeful his team’s efforts will put more numbers in the win column against Arizona.
“This is very meaningful baseball for us and, obviously, who we’re playing. I don’t think you’re going to get as much care factor, really anywhere in this region, about people that care more about winning a baseball game than these two teams that are playing out here today. So it’s intense, it’s meaningful, it matters to us, it matters to these kids.”
Arizona State will attempt to rebound on Saturday when right-handed senior Jack Martinez takes the mound. First pitch is scheduled for 6:30 PM PST.
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