ASU Stays Alive Behind Another Strong Outing
6/5/2016 12:00:00 AM | General
FORT WORTH – For the second straight elimination game, an Arizona State starter pitched deep into the game as Zach Dixon threw 8.0 innings in a 6-3 win over Gonzaga, advancing the Sun Devils to the NCAA Fort Worth Regional final at Lupton Stadium on Sunday.
Dixon cruised through the middle innings, held a one-run lead after eight, and the Sun Devils tacked on two insurance runs in the ninth to grab revenge against the Bulldogs who beat them in the regionals’ first game.
The Rundown
Dixon labored through the first two innings, allowing a run in the first, but retired 10 straight at one point, a stretch that spanned from the third to the seventh inning.
During that time, Arizona State (36-22) took a 4-1 lead with three runs in the fourth and one in the fifth. Brian Serven walked with one out in the fourth inning, then advanced to second on a single from Andrew Shaps and scored on a ball-four wild pitch to Tyler Williams.
The Sun Devils added a pair of runs on a wild play just two pitches later. Colby Woodmansee hit a ball through the left side that Jeffrey Bohling dove for at third base, but couldn’t come up with, therefore pushing the ball toward the second base bag.
Shaps scored from third on the play, and with Williams moving to third base, the Zags second baseman Justin Jacobs tried to throw him out. However, the throw was wild and allowed Williams to score an unearned run and put ASU up 3-1.
Serven made the score 4-1 with an RBI double in the fifth inning to plate David Greer.
Gonzaga (36-20), however, didn’t go away and got to Dixon in the eighth inning. Two singles put Nick Brooks and Sam Brown on the corners, before Bohling beat out a bad throw on the back end of a potential double play, plating Brooks.
Taylor Jones then laced a double down the left field line, plating Bohling who slid under a tag to get the Bulldogs within one, 4-3. However, Shaps kept the game tied as the ASU centerfielder made a diving catch to end the inning with the tying run on second base.
Dixon (2-1) allowed three runs on six hits and struck out nine in his eight innings of work. Gonzaga starter Hunter Wells (3-4) also pitched 8.0 innings, allowing just six hits and four runs, three earned. He struck out a career-high nine, but also walked five batters.
Arizona State added two insurance runs in the ninth inning on Jeremy McCuin’s first career home run and a sacrifice fly from Serven.
Ryan Hingst pitched a perfect ninth inning to record the save for ASU.
Stat of the Game
8 – Both starters, Zach Dixon for Arizona State and Hunter Wells for Gonzaga, pitched 8.0 innings. They also both struck out nine batters.
Next Up
Arizona State moves on to face TCU on Sunday night at 6:30 p.m. in the NCAA Fort Worth Regional championship game. The Sun Devils will have to beat the Horned Frogs twice to advance to the NCAA Super Regionals. Gonzaga has been eliminated.
