Beavers Can't Come Back in Game 1, Lose 4-2 to ASU

Final Score: Arizona State 4, Oregon State 2

When you're playing a team which is one of the best in the nation on offense, you know you're going to need to score a lot of runs to win.

But when that team also has one of the best pitching staffs in the nation, you've got your work cut out for you.

The Oregon State pitching staff and defense held Arizona State to just four runs on Friday night, but ASU starter Mike Leake was phenomenal. He threw a complete game, giving up just three hits over the course of nine innings. Two of the Oregon State hits came during the 2-run ninth inning, He walked two, hit two, and struck out six, meaning that it took him 35 batters to record 27 outs in the game. 

The Beavers were led offensively by Stefen Romero, who got two of the three hits on the afternoon. Joey Wong picked up the other hit. 

The Trojans started off the game with a run in the top of the first inning, when leadoff man Drew Maggi was hit by a pitch, stole second, advanced to third on a fly ball, and scored on a bunt  by Matt Newman.

In the third, two runs scored on a throwing error by Joey Wong, and Drew Maggi scored in the fifth after doubling to begin the inning.

The four run lead amassed by the Sun Devils in the early innings didn't seem like much for the conference's top offensive team, but it's tough to climb back into the game against a future big-leaguer like Mike Leake. 

The Beavers had their best chance to make a run at the Sun Devils in the ninth inning, when they loaded the bases with no outs. Adalberto Santos hit a sacrifice fly to right field, which sounded like it had a chance of going out of the ballpark, but held... Ortiz would tag from third, making the score 4-1. Koa Kahalehoe also hit a sacrifice fly, driving in Stefen Romero from third and making the score 4-2, but with two outs, the Beavers couldn't drive in any more runs in the inning.

Game 2 of the series is tonight at 5:00 p.m, following the Spring Game.

--Jake (jake.buildingthedam@gmail.com)