A game removed from the six-run ninth inning that stole a sweep over Arizona from No. 4 ASU baseball, a three-run eighth inning allowed Washington to take the series opener 9-7 on Friday night.
After the Sun Devils (23-11, 11-5 Pac-12) took a 7-6 lead in the top of the eighth, the Huskies scored all three runs with two outs in the bottom half, handing ASU its first back-to-back losses of the season.
The disastrous third of an inning started when Eric Melbostad gave up an RBI double that tied the game before being replaced by junior Ryan Burr.
Burr, who picked up his first loss in ASU's loss to Arizona, took over with runners on first and second. Husky freshman catcher Joey Morgan, who was hitless to that point, hit a blooper that landed between shortstop Colby Woodmansee and center fielder Johnny Sewald and scored the go-ahead run.
Then, Washington's Braden Bishop tallied his third RBI on a base hit off Burr to make it 9-7 Huskies.
Just like its series openers at Oregon and Utah, ASU started slow in Seattle. However, the recovery was quicker Friday night.
Washington (21-14, 6-7 Pac-12) struck first with Branden Berry's two-run home run to left field in the first inning.
In the second inning, ASU third baseman David Greer hit a leadoff double before being driven in by two groundouts.
Martinez settled in after giving up four runs in his first two innings of work, tallying three straight 1-2-3 innings and retiring 11 straight Huskies at one point. The sophomore, who has become ASU's Friday starter, eventually gave up six earned runs in 6.2 innings of work.
However, lightning struck twice in the first two frames when right fielder Will Sparks hit the second two-run homer of the game to put the Huskies up 4-1.
As they have many times this year, the Sun Devils had an answer. ASU scored five unanswered runs between the fourth and fifth innings to take a 6-4 lead.
That surge was highlighted by Sewald's first home run of the season, a three-run bomb. Last weekend, Sewald hit a ball that went off the ball, but this one was not in any doubt as it flew over the right-field fence.
The game's fourth home run came courtesy of Bishop, who tied the game with his two-run shot.
ASU answered again, though, when Joey Bielek and Trever Allen hit singles to put runners on the corners. Then, an error allowed Bielek to score the go-ahead run in the eighth inning.
Melbostad (0-1) had three earned runs, all in the eighth, and picked up the loss.
With traction in the Pac-12 at stake, a poor eighth inning doomed the Sun Devils.
ASU will look to get back on track in the second game of the series against Washington on Saturday night.
Reach the reporter at Justin.Toscano@asu.edu or follow @justintoscano3 on Twitter.
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