While most teams typically rely on the top of their lineup to do the heavy lifting, on some nights that isn’t the case.
On Thursday, Arizona State graduate student catcher Josiah Cromwick and junior outfielder Isaiah Jackson were slated as the last two hitters in ASU’s batting order. The two held the lowest batting averages out of the nine sluggers in the Sun Devils’ lineup. However, the eight and nine-hole hitters carried the load for Sparky in Game 1 against Texas Tech, combining for two home runs and seven RBIs in ASU’s 10-4 win over the Red Raiders.
In the bottom of the third inning, Jackson delivered a three-run homer to right-center field. The Vail, Arizona native left the yard for the first time in 13 games.
Get Jacked.
— Sun Devil Baseball (@ASU_Baseball) April 18, 2025
Three-run bomb for @Jackson_Isaiah6.
Devils strike first.
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“It was good, man,” Jackson said. “It was second and third there with less than two (outs). So I was kinda just trying to put the ball in the air somewhere … Mother Nature threw me a bone. The wind was blowing out, so it got it over there, but I was excited about it.”
Five frames later, the 6-foot-3, 220-pounder plated home the Sun Devils’ fourth run of the game. Jackson fought off an inside pitch in a 3-2 count with two outs and found a hole through the left side of the infield. ASU junior outfielder Kien Vu scored from second base to give Arizona State a 4-3 lead.
“In our lineup, that’s not a disrespectful thing,” ASU head coach Willie Bloomquist said about Jackson batting ninth. “That is a necessary position that we need to keep that rally going for the top guys. And we’ve shuffled it. I’ve shuffled it quite a bit this year.”
The Maroon and Gold followed up its two-run seventh inning with a five-run eighth frame. Arizona State senior infielder Matt King homered to left center field to put his side up 7-4. The UTSA transfer, who recorded three hits, extended his career-high hitting streak to 15 games.
“I’ll just say sticking to my approach,” King said about what’s been working. “Going up to the batter’s box with the clear head and just getting the pitch that I want to hit, not the pitch the pitcher wants me to hit.”
The eighth-inning energy didn’t stop there. Cromwick stepped up to the dish with runners on the corners and one out, possessing a chance to put the game out of reach. In an 0-2 count with two away in the bottom half of the frame, the 6-foot-2, 200-pounder pounded a ball over the left-center field wall for a three-run blast to extend the lead and make it 10-4 Sun Devils.
#CromBomb #️⃣🔟 gets us to 🔟
— Sun Devil Baseball (@ASU_Baseball) April 18, 2025
Three-run shot and its a 5-run eighth.
10-4, Devils
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The ASU arms delivered too. Junior left-handed pitcher Ben Jacobs struck out 13 Red Raiders, setting a single-outing career best. Additionally, the Maroon and Gold’s ace didn’t walk any Texas Tech batters in the game.
“Stuff was there and I was able to attack the zone, get ahead early,” Jacobs said. “That’s where I do my best, just establishing the zone and getting ahead of hitter so and just executing when I get to two strikes.”
The Red Raiders hung a three-run third frame on Jacobs, but the defense held strong. Sun Devil senior right-handed pitcher Will Koger and sophomore left-handed pitcher Cole Carlon shut the door in the remaining three innings.
Despite coming off a road trip where they dropped three out of four games, Bloomquist set the tone for the remainder of the season.
“You’re going to see that the rest of the year for these guys. We’re not playing for nobody else other than this program and those kids in there. They deserve it.”
Arizona State looks to earn the series win on Friday with Game 2 set for 7 p.m. AZT at Phoenix Municipal Stadium.
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