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Andrew Snow's 12th-inning home run lifts ASU baseball to 5-3 win over Utah

Freshman Andrew Snow's first collegiate home run came at the best time possible for No. 6 ASU baseball.

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Freshman Andrew Snow hits a sacrifice fly to right field to score Senior Joey Bielek in the bottom of the sixth inning against New Mexico at Phoenix Municipal Stadium on Tuesday March 31, 2015. The Sun Devils defeated the Aggies 7-3. (Jacob Stanek/ The State Press)

Freshman Andrew Snow's first collegiate home run, a two-run shot to left field in the top of the 12th, lifted No. 6 ASU baseball over Utah 5-3 in the first game of the series. 

The Sun Devils (20-7, 8-2) had runners on second and third with one out in the top of the eighth and Snow (1-for-4, home run) scored on a wild pitch to put ASU ahead 3-2. However, Utah tied the game on a squeeze bunt in the bottom of the ninth to send it to extra innings. 

More importantly, ASU junior Ryan Burr struck out two straight Utah (9-18, 3-7 Pac-12) batters to end a bases-loaded with one out jam in the bottom of the 10th inning to keep the game alive. His performance escaping the jam showed shades of the first game of the season where he struck out the side to preserve a tie in the ninth inning. 

Thursday's game was a pitchers' duel for most of the way as ASU sophomore Seth Martinez faced off against the Utes' Nolan Stouder. Martinez, who started the past two Friday games, gave up two runs on five hits with two strikeouts on 4.2 innings pitched. 

Stouder gave up two runs on just three hits in seven innings of work for Utah, which was a strong performance for a struggling Utes pitching staff. 

The Utes drew first blood with junior AJ Young's solo home run to left field. However, ASU responded in the third inning when Joey Bielek doubled, advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on an RBI groundout. 

In the bottom half of the third, Cody Scaggari hit an RBI single to center to put Utah up 2-1.

ASU senior Darin Gillies, who struggled in his last few outings, pitched 2.2 innings of no-hit ball with one strikeout, providing the bridge role that the team needs from him. 

Playing nail-biting games in the first game of a series has become a common theme for ASU baseball this season.

Thursday was ASU's second extra-innings victory in its past three series openers and its third-consecutive win in a series opener. 

It was also the Sun Devils third extra-inning win, all of which have come in the first game of a series. 

Duke, whose only two runs given up were on Snow's home run, pitched four innings of relief for the Utes. 

In addition, ASU freshman Eli Lingos pitched two innings of no-hit ball and earned his first collegiate win. 

The Sun Devils extended their winning streak to five games and will look to continue it on Friday against Utah in the second game of the series.

Reach the reporter at Justin.Toscano@asu.edu or follow @justintoscano3 on Twitter.

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