TEMPE – No. 22 Arizona State Baseball entered Friday’s game ranked ninth in the nation’s home run tally with 48. Meanwhile, No. 17 West Virginia came into Tempe riding a six-game winning streak.
The clash of two Big 12 giants saw ASU (20-6, 5-2 Big 12) climb over the Mountaineers (17-5, 5-2), highlighted by two home runs and eight RBIs from sophomore left fielder Landon Hairston. Junior second baseman Nu’u Contrades had two home runs on the evening.
“With the competition that we faced tonight, this is the best approach we’ve had top to bottom all season long,” ASU coach Willie Bloomquist said.
Junior left-handed pitcher Cole Carlon started on the mound, per his usual Friday night routine. Carlon dished eight hits and seven strikeouts through 4 1/3 innings,
Carlon began the bout with a four-pitch walk that advanced freshman shortstop Matt Ineich, who was followed by the Mountaineers’ sophomore second baseman Gavin Kelly.
Kelly whacked a one-run double that narrowly avoided third base. Ineich sprinted home from first and landed the first score of the night.
Arizona State sophomore left fielder Landon Hairston responded during his leadoff plate appearance with a 411-foot no-doubt home run to even the score, his team-leading 12th of the season.
West Virginia graduate designated hitter Sean Smith responded in the second inning with a one-run single to retake the lead, 2-1.
Junior second baseman Nu’u Contrades hit a no-doubt solo home run of his own to tie the game once again. The bases slowly filled up, and an RBI walk for sophomore center fielder Ky McGary gave ASU a two-score advantage just before Hairston returned to the plate.
Hairston was inevitable as he stepped to the plate, where he hit his home run #13: A grand slam that propelled the Maroon and Gold to a 7-2 advantage, yielding a loud eruption from the crowd.
The slam tied Hairston with Jeff Larish’s 2003 ASU single-season grand slam record (4), with 30 more regular-season games ahead.
Still, both Bloomquist and Hairston agreed that in the grand scheme of ASU’s season, the record is meaningless and means more about the team’s contributions than anything.
Bloomquist called Hairston’s swing the most consistent swing (he’s) seen through his five years coaching in Tempe.
West Virginia graduate center fielder Brodie Kresser returned the favor with a one-run double. Arizona State followed with Contrades’ second home run of the day and two RBI walks that extended the Maroon and Gold’s lead to seven.
In the words of Contrades: “Energy is contagious.” Arizona State outscored the Mountaineers 3-1 to initiate the mercy rule with a 10-run lead in the seventh inning.
Hairston and Bloomquist emphasized that the Sun Devils “have not arrived by any means” and still have a lot of work to do. However, Hairston also put an exclamation point on the young talent in Tempe and how he wants to see the trend continue.
“If you’re in high school in Arizona, there’s no place I’d rather be,” Hairston said. “You’re representing something way bigger than yourself.”
Bloomquist also commended his recruiting staff, saying that they “don’t get the credit they deserve,” and “did a phenomenal job this summer” with scouting and recruiting duties.
The Maroon and Gold will play its second game of three against West Virginia on Friday, with the first pitch scheduled for 6:35 p.m. MST.
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