Sparked by a seven-run third inning, the No. 4 ASU baseball team continued its winning ways Monday night with a convincing 17-5 victory over Gonzaga.
Junior second baseman Steve Garrabrants drove home a career-high six runs including a grand slam homerun to break a tie in the third inning. Sophomore catcher Tuffy Gosewisch also added three RBIs on a 2-for-4 night.
"One day or another it's somebody else that picks us up; it's just a complete team," Garrabrants said. "We've been behind plenty of times early in the game and it didn't panic us. We come back. I like that."
The victory increased ASU's season record to 18-1. It's the club's best start since the 1972 season in which the Sun Devils were 23-1. ASU also took out the Bulldogs (0-4) last Friday night in Surprise, Ariz., 8-4.
With ASU trailing 3-2 in the third inning, the Sun Devils used the long ball to break away. Freshman designated hitter Travis Buck knotted the score up at 3-3 with an RBI single and chased Gonzaga junior starting pitcher Sean Lichter out of the game. Junior right-hander Kris White entered but faired no better, surrendering two homeruns. The first was Garrabrants' grand slam, and two batters later junior left fielder Rodney Allen blasted a two-run shot. All seven runs came with no outs.
The Sun Devils tacked on another pair of runs in the fourth with situational hitting. After both Frank Mesa and Allen reached on walks, Gosewisch singled through the right side of the infield on a hit and run to score Mesa. Freshman center fielder Ryan Bosch then scored Allen on a sacrifice fly and ASU led 11-3.
"That's what it's all about, is stringing together some good at bats," ASU head coach Pat Murphy said. "Sometimes it's an impressive statement for the hitter to take some walks. I thought we did that tonight and I'm proud of our position players for staying relentless."
ASU would add six more in the fifth inning to make it 17-3 before Gonzaga plated a couple runs late.
After escaping trouble in the first inning, freshman starter Erik Averill was unable to work through the second unscathed. With two outs, a run in and the bases loaded, junior third-baseman Brad Welker lined one over the head of Mesa at third for a double and two RBI to put Gonzaga on top 3-2. Averill was pulled after two innings.
Senior Ben Thurmond picked up the win and a bit of revenge from Gonzaga. After giving up four runs in just two innings Friday, the right-hander did not allow a Bulldog across the plate in three innings for his second victory of the season.
Reach the reporter at casey.pritchard@asu.edu.
