Sun Devils Down Pirates In Regional Opener, 9-6
June 04, 2005 | Baseball
TEMPE, Ariz.--Despite a late rally in which the Pirates scored two runs in both the seventh and ninth innings, ECU dropped its regional opener to Arizona State Friday night, 9-6, in front of 2,280 in attendance at Packard Stadium. The loss marks ECU's first defeat in a game in which T.J. Hose has started.
Hose (7-4) lasted just 1 1/3 innings before giving way to Scott Andrews in the second inning. The freshman right-hander, who faced just 11 batters, allowing five runs on six hits while striking out two. The Pirates are now 9-1 in Hose's 10 starts this season. Andrews finished the game on the hill for ECU, allowing four runs on four hits in 6 2/3 innings of work.
With the loss, ECU drops to 35-25 overall this season while Arizona State improves their mark to 35-22.
Jason Urquidez earned his ninth win of the season for Arizona State. The senior right-hander allowed just one earned run on six hits while striking out eight and walking just one in six innings of work. Brett Bordes and Ty Marotz combined to toss the final three innings in relief for the Sun Devils.
Jeff Larish led ASU offensively, going 2-for-3 with two home runs, three RBI and four runs scored. Travis Buck and J.J. Sferra also collected two hits on the night while Willy Fox and Tuffy Gosewisch each finished with two RBI.
Brian Cavanaugh went 3-for-5 with an RBI and two runs scored to lead ECU. Adam Witter, Drew Costanzo and Harrison Eldridge each finished with two base hits while Mark Minicozzi drove in two runners on the night. Witter reached base in four of five plate appearances adding a pair of walks two his two base knocks.
After Cavanaugh popped up to center to lead off the game, Dale Mollenhauer hit the first pitch he saw over the wall in right for his fourth homer of the season. Two batters later, Witter singled to left before a Costanzo double and a fielding error on leftfielder Colin Curtis brought him home for the second run of the first for ECU.
The Sun Devils didn't waste any time getting on the board when leadoff hitter Larish hit the first pitch he saw from Hose over the wall in left for a home run. The next two ASU batters, Buck and Curtis, singled to right and left respectively, placing runners on the corners with no outs. Arizona State's fourth straight hit to lead off the first inning came off the bat of Fox, bringing home Buck to tie the ballgame with a single to left. Hose then retired three straight to get out of the inning allowing just the two runs.
Sferra put the Sun Devils ahead when he scored from second after a Buck single and a throwing error on Billy Richardson in the bottom of the second. With the bases loaded and one out, a Fox groundout to second allowed Larish to plate the fourth run of the game for ASU. Gosewisch followed Fox with a double down the line in left, scoring two more ASU runners, pushing the Sun Devil lead to 6-2 after two.
ASU scored again in the fourth when Larish, who was hit by a pitch for the second time in the game, scored from third on an Andrews' wild pitch.
Larish hit his second homer of the game with a two-run shot to right, scoring Andrew Romine to give ASU a 9-2 lead after six.
Cavanaugh collected his second hit of the game with an RBI infield single scoring Eldridge before a Minicozzi single to center two batters later scored Cavanaugh for the fourth Pirate run on the night.
Cavanaugh tripled to left-center in the top of the ninth and came home on a Minicozzi groundout before Witter hit a solo shot to left to close the scoring at 9-6.
ECU will face UNLV in the loser's bracket Saturday afternoon at 5 p.m. EST while Arizona State advances to play Coastal Carolina in the winner's bracket at 10 p.m. EST. Coastal Carolina defeated the Rebels 12-8 in the first game of the Tempe Regional Friday afternoon.
