FULLERTON, Calif. — In the midst of a pitcher's duel, one pitch mattered.
Joey Bielek made it count.
The ASU senior first baseman launched a two-run, go-ahead blast to left field on the first of back-to-back home runs in the seventh inning, leading No. 2 seed ASU to a 7-4 win over No. 3 seed Clemson Friday in the opening game of the Fullerton Regional.
The Sun Devils (35-21) took advantage of big performances from the No. 5 and No. 6 spots in the order Friday, riding to victory behind their two big hits against the Tigers (32-28).
The matchup, which featured two of the top left-handers in the country, lived up to the billing.
Friday's two starters each got off to red-hot starts, keeping the game scoreless through four innings.
ASU junior left-hander Ryan Kellogg was solid in seven innings for the Sun Devils, giving ip two runs on six hits with a postseason career-high six strikeouts and four walks on 111 pitches.
Clemson junior left-hander Matthew Crownover was particularly impressive early, not giving up a single hit until ASU senior left fielder Jake Peevyhouse's single up the middle with one out in the fourth inning.
Crownover finished with seven innings pitched, giving up four runs on five hits (three home runs) while walking one and striking out nine on 100 pitches.
ASU head coach Tracy Smith said he knew coming in that his team was facing one of the top pitchers in the country in Crownover, who won 2015 ACC Pitcher of the Year.
"Matthew (Crownover) was, I don't like it when you're sitting in the dugout when it's happening, fun to watch," Smith said. "He's really good. I was excited to see him with all the accolades he had and he lived up to the billing."
Clemson threatened to score first in the fifth inning, as sophomore catcher Chris Okey reached on a leadoff walk and advanced to second on a bunt. Sophomore third baseman Weston Wilson singled to right, and the two scored after sophomore first baseman Andrew Cox hit a two-RBI single up the middle to give the Tigers a 2-0 lead.
Redshirt senior right fielder Trever Allen responded with a home run to left to lead off the following half-inning, cutting the lead to 2-1 in the fifth.
Allen, who initially tried to bunt during the at-bat, got the pitch he wanted and drove it over the wall.
"I tried bunting because nobody was really hitting anything, but then I just remembered from my last at-bat that (Crownover) was trying to go inside on me," Allen said. "I just got my foot down early and saw a good fastball inside and took advantage of it."
It was just the fifth home run given up by Crownover this season. He wound up nearly doubling his total entering the game (four) with three home runs given up Friday.
Freshman second baseman Andrew Snow gave ASU a chance to tie the game with his two-out double in the fifth, but was stranded there after junior third baseman Jordan Aboites flew out to right.
Clemson loaded the bases against Kellogg with two outs in the sixth inning, but failed to tally an insurance run after Wilson flied out to ASU junior center fielder Johnny Sewald to end the inning.
With the game coming down to the wire, the Sun Devils needed an opportunity to break open against Crownover.
ASU got its big break in the seventh, as Allen drew a four-pitch, one-out walk to set up Bielek.
He delivered.
Bielek launched a two-run blast over the wall in left-center field, giving ASU a 3-2 lead.
Allen, who scored on the home run, saw the momentum shift.
"For Joey (Bielek) to do that with someone on and he goes I think 3-1 and gets a fastball over the middle of the dish and he hits it out," he said. "Serven hits a changeup up. You have to do that wuth guys who are so good like that. You have to hit the mistake pitches."
Crownover said he pitched around Allen, then failed to put it all together against Bielek.
"I wanted to make sure (Allen) didn't beat me," Crownover said. "You can't just focus on one guy...getting down 2-0 to the next guy is unacceptable, and a 2-1 fastball, the guy hits it. Next guy hits a changeup down the middle."
Sophomore catcher Brian Serven followed up Bielek with a homer of his own, making it back-to-back home runs to give ASU the 4-2 lead.
Crownover said the home runs were his only two mistakes in a mostly error-free game.
"Made two bad pitches all day and they made me pay for it," he said. "That's what good teams do."
Kellogg, who trailed 2-1 heading into the dugout after his seventh inning of work, was relieved by the run support.
"Hitting is contagous," Kellogg said. "One thing leads to another, and so you could really see the dugout change. The guys were fighting for it, and were still fighting for it but it's just a better atmosphere in the dugout."
It was the second time in as many weeks that ASU has had back-to-back home runs, after not having such a feat in any game since 2013.
ASU executed small ball to perfection in the eighth inning, tacking on an insurance run.
Sewald walked to open the inning, advancing to second on a bunt and stealing third before sophomore shortstop Colby Woodmansee drove him in with an infield single to make it 5-2.
Allen drove home Woodmansee and sophomore designated hitter David Greer, extending ASU's lead to 7-2.
Clemson sophomore shortstop Eli White tried jump starting a comeback for the Tigers, driving in two with a single to cut ASU's lead to 7-4.
However, junior closer Ryan Burr was able to shut the door to preserve the victory.
Smith reaffirmed the importance of perspective following the win.
"It all starts today, for everybody that is left in the field," Smith said. "If those guys are swinging the best, and Joey (Bielek) is up and swinging the best this time of the year, it's all the matters moving forward."
With the win, ASU plays the winner of Friday night's game between No. 1 seed Cal State Fullerton and No. 4 seed Pepperdine on Saturday at 8 p.m. at Goodwin Field.
Reach the reporter at fardaya@asu.edu or follow @fardaya15 on Twitter.
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