ASU Baseball: Sun Devils Go 3-1 in Phoenix Muni Classic

In the first-ever Phoenix Muni Classic, the no. 17  ranked ASU Baseball squad shined and walked away 3-1 over the three-day tournament.

Things got started on Thursday night when the Sun Devils picked up a 5-4 win courtesy of a walk-off single by Jordan Aboites to beat CSU Bakersfield.

Right-hander Seth Martinez got the start against the Roadrunners. Martinez would put together another solid outing, allowing only one run on four hits, no walks and striking out nine in seven innings of work. That tied a career-long outing for him.

The Roadrunners would scratch across three runs to tie the game in the eighth, but reliever Ryan Burr would shut them down after that. Burr allowed just one hit and struck out four in his two innings of work.

Aboites hit a bases-loaded single in the bottom of the ninth to snap a 4-4 tie and give the Sun Devils its second walk-off win of the season.

Burr would also pick up his second win of the season.

A wet weekend in the Phoenix area forced ASU to shorten the tournament from four days to three, with ASU playing a doubleheader on Friday against CSU Bakersfield and Purdue.

In game one, the Roadrunners got their revenge, defeating ASU, 7-4.

Just like the night before, things would be tied 4-4 going into the 9th inning. This time the Roadrunners would break the tie, scoring three runs in the top of the 9th, and go on to win the game.

ASU starter Darin Gillies went five innings and allowed three runs on six hits and struck out seven. He walked away with a no decision after allowing the tying run to score in the sixth.

It was as if that loss had no affect on the Sun Devils though.

In game two of the doubleheader, ASU drove in 15 runs on 17 hits to beat Purdue 15-5.

The Boilermakers and the Sun Devils matched each other in runs in the second and third innings, but it was ASU that broke it open after they scored nine runs in the bottom of the fifth.

Reliever Eder Erives would come away with his first win of the season for ASU after coming in to relieve starter Brett Lilek. Erives did not allow a run, struck out four and scattered just three hits in 3 1/3 innings of work.

The Phoenix Muni Classic concluded on Saturday and the Sun Devils had all the momentum going into the final day of the tournament.

They faced the Gonzaga Bulldogs, who came into Saturday 1-2 in the tournament.

The Bulldogs got things going in the first after leadoff hitter Mitchell Gonsules homered on the first pitch of the game to give Gonzaga the early 1-0 lead.

ASU answered back with five unanswered runs over four innings and would eventually win it 5-2.

ASU got a quality start out of Ryan Kellogg who settled down after allowing the leadoff homer and went eight innings, giving up just two runs on 10 hits and struck out four to pick up his third win of the season.

Burr came in to close it out and was credited with his fourth save of the season.

Saturday’s win wrapped up the opening month for the Sun Devils, who went 7-4 in the month of February.

Up next, the Sun Devils head to Salt River Fields at Talking Stick in Scottsdale to begin March with a game against the Arizona Diamondbacks. It will be the inaugural Collegiate Baseball Series with first pitch scheduled for 3:10 p.m. Tuesday.

Next weekend, the Sun Devils host Long Beach state for a three game series March 6-8.