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ASU baseball wins opener and loses series to No. 1 Texas Christian University

Despite a big win on Friday night, ASU lost games two and three to lose the series to the top-ranked Horned Frogs

ASU sophomore starting pitcher Zach Dixon (6) tosses the ball to first base after a Cowboys batter hit it in front of the mound during a baseball game versus the Oklahoma State Cowboys at Phoenix Municipal Stadium in Phoenix on Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2017. ASU lost the game 18-4. (Josh Orcutt/State Press)
ASU sophomore starting pitcher Zach Dixon (6) tosses the ball to first base after a Cowboys batter hit it in front of the mound during a baseball game versus the Oklahoma State Cowboys at Phoenix Municipal Stadium in Phoenix on Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2017. ASU lost the game 18-4. (Josh Orcutt/State Press)

Though the Sun Devils jumped ahead on Friday to take the first of a three-game series, ASU fell to No. 1 ranked Texas Christian University on Saturday and Sunday to lose the series in Fort Worth, Texas.

After ASU (4-3) took a whopping 18-4 loss at home to Oklahoma State on Tuesday, the Sun Devils went out on the road for the first time in facing the Horned Frogs, who are ranked No. 1 in both the USA Today Coaches Poll and the National College Baseball Writers Association ranking.

And while ASU scored 19 runs over three games at TCU, it took its first series loss of the 2017 season.

Game One

ASU won the first game of the series, beating TCU 13-9. Junior pitcher Eli Lingos had an excellent game, throwing six innings and allowing two earned runs. He struck out eight batters while giving up two hits.

Sun Devil relief pitchers struggled in the later innings, but ASU managed to overcome as their bats exploded for nine runs in the final three innings.

Freshman catcher Lyle Lin and freshman second baseman Carter Aldrete combined for four runs in the ninth with two RBI hits to secure the win for ASU.

Gage Canning, Tyler Williams and Jeremy McCuin each had two hits in the game, and Lin continued his hot start to the season with three hits. Williams hit the Sun Devils’ only home run and Aldrete led the team with three RBI.

Game Two

Junior righty Ryan Hingst took the bump for the Sun Devils on Saturday. Though his teammates put up a run in the top of the first at the plate, Hingst allowed three of his own in the bottom half of the opening frame.

He went on to allow four earned runs – and junior reliever Jake Godfrey gave up four more – in ASU’s 8-4 loss.

In Andrew Shaps’ return to action – after missing the beginning of the season for a violation of team rules – the junior outfielder went two-for-three with two walks and two runs scored as the leadoff hitter.

The freshman duo of Lin and Aldrete stayed hot yet again, combining to go 3-for-9 with three RBI and a walk.

But it wasn’t enough. ASU never again had the lead after the top of the first inning, and TCU got the series-evening victory.

Game Three

Freshman pitcher Spencer Van Scoyoc kept things close on Sunday in his second career NCAA start. Through six innings and 104 pitches, Van Scoyoc allowed just one run, but struggled with command, walking five hitters and throwing just 58 of his 104 pitches for strikes.

The Sun Devils had a 2-1 lead when Van Scoyoc’s outing ended, thanks to RBI from Aldrete and sophomore outfielder Tyler Williams. But those runs were all ASU would get in the series finale, and freshman reliever Chaz Montoya allowed three runners to cross the plate in the seventh inning to suffer the loss.

The Sun Devils return home once again to play New Mexico State on Tuesday. First pitch is at 6:30 p.m. MST.


Reach the reporter at matthew.layman@asu.edu or follow @Mattjlayman on Twitter.

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