PHOENIX — No. 20 Arizona State (24-11) dropped the first game of its three-game series against Utah (18-13), in a heated 10-4 contest.
Ejections, tense moments and an energized crowd defined the pace of play under the lights of Phoenix Municipal Stadium on Friday night.
“Interesting night to say the least,” ASU coach Willie Bloomquist said. “We were not sharp again on the mound, at the plate. There were some fireworks in the fifth inning, but we’re focused on playing a better brand of baseball right now.”
After the ASU pitching staff struggled against UNLV on Wednesday, it looked to bounce back two days later against the Utes.
Despite left-handed ace Cole Carlon taking the bump to start for the Sun Devils on Friday night, the struggles continued. After five innings, his final stats of the game were eight hits, with seven runs.
He started especially rocky early on, allowing four walks in the top of the second. It helped propel Utah to post three runs in the frame.
The pitching struggles on the mound continued for Carlon, as Utah junior catcher Jack Kleveno hit a grand slam, sending a 361 feet over the wall in left field. It put ASU in a deep hole after five, as the Sun Devils trailed 7-1.
“If you want to get length and be a starter, and have longevity throughout the year. We have to be more efficient,” Bloomquist said.
Still, the Maroon and Gold were the first to get on the scoreboard, as fifth-year outfielder Dean Toigo drove in sophomore outfielder Landon Hairston with a sacrifice fly to left center in the bottom of the first.
It served as a lone bright spot in a night that wasn’t ideal for the Sun Devils, both with their play on the field and after numerous ejections. Bloomquist and sophomore catcher Broddy Briggs were both tossed for exchanging words with Utah junior pitcher Colter McAnelly.
“I didn’t hear what was said; there were warnings issued after the home run by Kleveno,” Bloomquist said. “My understanding is if there is a warning issued, then the next instigator should be the one who gets ejected, and Briggs wasn’t the instigator.
After deliberation, both McAnelly and another Ute on the bench were also ejected, marking the fourth ejection following the heated exchange.
“Why are we having warnings if we’re not going to enforce them?” Bloomquist said.
“Overall, my intention was to protect my own guy, who I thought was being the bait. That’s just me protecting my players.”
Hairston was next to bat for ASU after the drama on the field and added to the fireworks with a 398-foot home run to cut the deficit to 7-4. It marked Hairston’s 20th home run of the season.
The rest of the game proved less eventful. In the top of the eighth, Utah scored two more runs, taking advantage of walks from ASU sophomore righty Eli Buxton, helping them pull away to a 10-4 win.
The Sun Devils will look to bounce back on Saturday and even the series when it takes on the Utes again at 6:35 p.m. MST at Phoenix Municipal Stadium.
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