Following a career that has spanned more than 150 starts, it's safe to say that ASU redshirt senior outfielder Trever Allen has had an impact on the ASU baseball program.
On Senior Night, he made his presence felt.
Allen launched a two-run blast to left field in the first inning Saturday and scored the winning run, leading No. 12 ASU baseball to a 6-5 win in 11 innings over Washington State.
Freshman second baseman Andrew Snow's walk-off single to right drove in Allen and gave the Sun Devils (32-19, 17-10 Pac-12) the series victory over the Cougars (28-25, 10-17 Pac-12) in their final Pac-12 home series of the year.
Allen reached first to open the 11th inning off on an error, then advanced to second and a Jordan Aboites bunt. After senior first baseman Joey Bielek was walked, Snow came up with the big hit.
About halfway to first base, he knew it was over.
"I was about halfway to first and I was thinking, 'He's not going to get there. He's not going to get there,' and it dropped in," Snow said. "I saw Trever (Allen) score and it was awesome. Just pumped up."
It was their sixth walk-off hit of the year, in their second extra-inning game in as many nights.
ASU head coach Tracy Smith said it was Snow's lack of experience that made him so comfortable in the big situation.
"He's naive enough to go out there and want to be the guy that has the game on the line," Smith said. "I felt real good about him. I really did."
Prior to the game, ASU honored its four seniors: Allen, Bielek, outfielder Jake Peevyhouse and right-hander Darin Gillies.
ASU jumped out early on their Senior Night, getting putting up four runs in their opening frame.
Sophomore catcher Brian Serven drove in Peevyhouse and sophomore third baseman David Greer with a two-RBI double to the left-center field gap to put ASU up 2-0 with one out in the first.
Just one batter later, redshirt senior outfielder Trever Allen launched a pitch from Washington State freshman right-hander Ryan Walker over the wall in left-center field to score Serven and extend the early ASU lead to 4-0.
Walker lasted just one inning for the Cougars, giving up four earned runs on three hits and a walk on 24 pitches.
ASU sophomore right hander Seth Martinez cruised early on, striking out the side in the opening half-inning and avoiding trouble in the second and third innings.
Martinez finally gave up the first run from an ASU starter during the three-game series during the fourth inning, as Washington State freshman first baseman Tyler McDowell lined an RBI single to left to make it a 4-1 game.
After ASU junior center fielder Johnny Sewald hit a bloop RBI single to left to extend the lead to 5-1 in the bottom of the fourth, the Cougars struck again.
Martinez gave up back-to-back hard hits to Washington State, as sophomore right fielder Cooper Elliott doubled to right and was driven home on a two-run blast by senior second baseman Ian Sagdal to cut the lead to 5-3 in the fifth inning.
Martinez went five innings, giving up three earned runs on six hits while walking two and striking out six batters on 87 pitches.
Smith said he got everything he needed out of the sophomore right-hander.
"He did what he was supposed to do," Smith said. "He got us through five (innings) and it wasn't a sloppy five...I'd take that out of him every time."
ASU squandered a chance to extend their lead in the sixth inning, stranding the bases loaded on a Peevyhouse ground out to second base.
The Sun Devils brought in junior closer Ryan Burr in the seventh inning to try for the nine-out save, relieving Gillies.
"I told you what was going to happen," Smith said with a chuckle. "The plan was to get to the sixth...the worst-case scenario was to give Burr the ball the last three innings. He went a little more than that, but it went exactly how it was supposed to.
"Our (bullpen) is non-traditional at this point. I wish I could tell you we had clearly defined roles with guys in the middle and the setup and all that, but we don't. It hasn't been that way, so our mindset is we've got to win every baseball game that we can."
Burr wound up blowing the save in the seventh, just two outs into his appearance.
Washington State junior designated hitter Ben Roberts laced a two-RBI double into left field to drive in freshman shortstop Jack Strunc and Elliott and tie the game 5-5.
Both Burr and Washington State sophomore closer Ian Hamilton battled throughout extras.
Burr went five innings, giving up two earned runs on five hits while striking out a career-high seven batters.
Hamilton went 4.1 innings, giving up just the unearned run on five hits with eight strikeouts.
ASU put a pair of runners on in both the seventh, eighth, ninth and 10th innings, but couldn't manage to break the tie.
The Sun Devils loaded the bases in the 10th after a freshman second baseman Andrew Snow single, Sewald reaching on a throwing error and Peevyhouse was intentionally walked.
They got nothing, however, as Greer flew out and Serven and sophomore shortstop Colby Woodmansee struck out to end the inning.
It was Sewald who kept the Devils going.
"Everybody was hanging their heads (in the dugout) and Johnny said, 'Let's go. Let's make an adjustment. We're still in this,' so we got back out there," Snow said.
In the 11th, the Sun Devils finally capitalized.
The win was much-needed for the Sun Devils, who needed a series win to boost their postseason chances.
"We haven't been clicking on all cylinders yet, and I think that this is the kind of night that we start doing that," Allen said.
Smith's message to his team was simple — keep the season in perspective.
"Yes we haven't played the best baseball lately," Smith said. "But if you just take that in it of itself and you were to say to me before the series, based off the stuff we have seen, would you like to be (in line for second place in the Pac-12) with one week to go, my answer would be hell yes."
With the win, ASU is 6-2 in extra innings this season and 17-6 in one-run games.
For Allen, it was the perfect night.
"It was perfect, honestly," Allen said. "With a freshman knocking me in, Andy and I feel like we have a pretty close relationship and it was awesome that he did that...it's a great start for him and an awesome ending for me."
Reach the reporter at fardaya@asu.edu or follow @fardaya15 on Twitter.
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