The ASU wrestling team escaped with a 22-15 win over CSU-Bakersfield on Sunday night, capping the California segment of their road trip, and their last Pac-12 competition before the conference championships in Palo Alto on March 2.
The Sun Devils (9-7, 4-1 Pac-12) came from behind once again to defeat the Roadrunners (6-8, 1-4 Pac-12) in a match that swung back and forth between the two teams.
Heavyweight redshirt junior Chase Eskam eked out a 3-2 win over redshirt senior Sam Cervantes to give ASU their first lead of the night.
Sophomore Ares Carpio (125) bounced back from his loss at Cal Poly on Friday night in a big way, thrashing redshirt junior Matt Correa in a 21-9 major decision.
The bonus points accumulated in major decisions via Carpio and redshirt junior Joel Smith (157) in an 18-6 drubbing of redshirt junior Spencer Hill were key in the Sun Devil rally.
A couple of missteps by ASU allowed CSU Bakersfield to keep the match close throughout. Sophomore Cord Coronado (133) started in place of redshirt sophomore Kalin Goodsite, and lost 7-0 to redshirt senior Jose Mendoza, while sophomore Matt Kraus (141) suffered a rare pinfall to Bakersfield redshirt sophomore Ian Nickell in 5:42.
After sophomore Ray Waters (174) dropped a tight match 1-0 to redshirt sophomore Bryce Hammond, CSU Bakersfield led ASU 15-14.
Redshirt sophomore No. 20 Blake Stauffer (184) had his way with redshirt junior Sean Pollock, also wrestling up a class from 174 lbs. for the depleted CSU Bakersfield squad.
Stauffer won in an 18-3 tech fall, earning five team points and vaulting the Sun Devils to a 19-15 lead over the Runners. Sophomore Wesley Moore (197) clinched the ASU victory with a 12-6 decision over junior Ruben Franklin.
The Sun Devils hope to avenge last year's blowout loss to Oklahoma State at Wells Fargo Arena, this time travelling to Gallagher-Iba Arena in Stillwater, Okla., to face the Cowboys on Feb. 21 at 6 p.m. MST.
A loss would make ASU winless against the Big-12 for two consecutive years, previously falling to Iowa State at home in January, and at Hilton Coliseum in Ames, Iowa, last year.
Reach the reporter at smodrich@asu.edu or follow him on Twitter @StefanJModrich
