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ASU baseball's Lilek throws gem in 10th-inning loss to Washington State

Following a two-hour rain delay, the junior left-hander was dominant over seven innings in the loss

Baseball Brett Lilek Washington State
Junior pitcher Brett Lilek delivers from the mound against Washington State on Friday, May 15, 2015 at Phoenix Municipal Stadium in Phoenix. Lilek pitched seven scoreless innings and gave up one hit in the Sun Devils' 1-0 loss to the Cougars.

Blame it on the rain.

Washington State managed just two hits all game, but managed to break a scoreless tie in the tenth inning from a pinch-hit RBI single to come away with a 1-0 win over ASU baseball Friday.

One day after ASU junior left-hander Ryan Kellogg threw a complete-game shutout, junior left-hander Brett Lilek threw a gem of his own Friday with a career-high 11 strikeouts in the loss.

No. 12 ASU (31-19, 16-10 Pac-12) had their start against the Cougars (28-24, 10-16) pushed back nearly two hours from their original 4 p.m. start time due to a rain delay at Phoenix Muni, but both Lilek and Washington State starter Joe Pistorese came out sharp from the outset.

RELATED: ASU baseball's rain delay against Washington State, in photos

After throwing a complete game Sunday, Lilek was moved to the No. 2 starting spot and responded immediately.

"Throwing well last Sunday was a big confidence boost and gave me the ability to go out there and challenge early and try to put them away late," Lilek said. 

Lilek gave up just one hit over seven innings, giving up no runs while striking out a career-high 11 batters and walking four on 110 pitches. 

Lilek got ahead early in counts, allowing him to cruise through most of the game.

"Once you get ahead, as a pitcher, it's a big confidence boost," Lilek said.

ASU head coach Tracy Smith said he needs Kellogg and Lilek going deep in games.

"In order to have the best chance to win, you need those guys to go deep," Smith said. "He's certainly doing his part."

Pistorese countered with a gem of his own in picking up the win, throwing nine scoreless innings and giving up five hits while walking four and striking out six on 119 pitches.

Smith was impressed by Pistorese's performance Friday, which bumped him to 8-4 with a 2.34 ERA on the season.

"He's very mature," Smith said. "He does a good job of controlling the running game, fielding his position, all of that stuff. We certainly swung at some bad pitches tonight, but it was one of those where you look up and it makes no sense when you look at the statistics."

Both left-handers were perfect through the first two innings, with neither pitcher giving up a base hit until the fourth inning.

Lilek ran into command issues in the third inning, walking three straight batters with two outs to load the bases before getting a strikeout to get out of trouble.

Pistorese managed his way out of trouble himself in the sixth inning, striking out ASU sophomore third baseman David Greer to get out of the bases-loaded jam.

Lilek was dominant through his final frame, striking out the side in order in the seventh inning before being relieved by senior right-hander Darin Gillies. 

Lilek said he didn't even know how well he was pitching until his final inning of work.

"The last inning I pitched, when I struck out the side, at that point I finally felt like I was settling in," he said. "I didn't know I was over 100 pitches, so that kind of sucks."

Gillies kept the game scoreless, forcing the game into extra innings. It was the second extra-inning game for ASU in as many weeks, as the Sun Devils lost 11-5 to UCLA in 17 innings Saturday.

The Cougars broke the scoring drought and took the first lead of the game on a pinch-hit RBI single from sophomore outfielder Wes Leow in the tenth, just their second hit of the game.

Gillies, who was perfect through his first two innings of work, made just one mistake in giving up the go-ahead hit.

"That seems to be the motto lately," Smith said. "One mistake is hurting us, particularly in the way we're swinging the bat...we just didn't get it done offensively."

ASU junior center fielder Johnny Sewald singled and reached second on a Jake Peevyhouse walk in the bottom half ofthe inning, but was stranded as the tying run as sophomore shortstop Colby Woodmansee grounded out to end the game.

Lilek said dropping a game in which he pitched so well, giving up just a lone infield hit, can be frustrating.

"I'm not going to lie, it's a little frustrating, but then again as a pitcher you hit those streaks," Lilek said. "(Pistorese) pitched well, kept hitters off balance. Very good job by him."

It was the second straight week with a heartbreaking loss in extra innings for ASU.

"It's baseball," Smith said. "It's over. It doesn't make you feel good. You replay a couple things here and there for probably the next hour mentally, but you've got to come out and play tomorrow."

The rubber match against Washington State comes on ASU's senior night on Saturday, with first pitch at 7 p.m.

"Senior night or no senior night it's big for us, because we're trying to control our own destiny in the (Pac-12)," Smith said. "These guys put in the hard work. They don't get the recognition, but there's going to be no better funny and make you feel good than winning that series."

Reach the reporter at fardaya@asu.edu or follow @fardaya15 on Twitter.

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