For more than eight seasons and 506 games -- nearly all of head coach Pat Murphy's nine-year tenure -- ASU had not looked up at the scoreboard at the end of the game and saw a zero by its name.
On Sunday, behind a masterful performance from Oklahoma junior David Purcey, the No. 16 ASU baseball team's (5-1) streak of 506 games with at least one run scored finally came to end during the Coca-Cola College Baseball Classic when the team lost 0-6. The run began after April, 7 1995 when USC's Randy Flores shutout ASU for a 9-0 victory. The streak was the longest of its kind in collegiate baseball history.
With two outs and the bases loaded in the ninth inning, ASU freshman center fielder Colin Curtis hit a dribbler back to closer Jared McAuliff on the first pitch of the at-bat, which would be the last out of the streak.
"If you look at it, it's a remarkable streak. But it's over," Murphy said. "It was great while it lasted. Someone else will break it somewhere down the line."
The turning point for the Sooners came in the first inning after Purcey had walked the first two batters, and had junior Jeff Larish on a 3-1 count. On the next two pitches, Purcey struck out Larish, then picked off junior Dustin Pedroia with a 2-2 count while facing junior Joel Bocchi.
"That kind of turned the whole tide of the game," Purcey said. "They were getting up on us, and we made the play. After that play, I found the zone again."
ASU's only hit against Purcey would be a swinging bunt in the second inning. Purcey then retired the next 16 batters in a row. In seven innings, Purcey threw 104 pitches, 62 of which were strikes, and gave up only one hit and two walks with six strikeouts.
"We got a lot of young guys, and I thought it was a good learning experience," Murphy said. "[Purcey] pitched a hell of a ballgame for them. That kid took it to us."
Junior Jarod McAuliff came in for the eighth and ninth innings. McAuliff let two on in the eighth only to leave them stranded before loading the bases for Curtis' dribbler.
The shutout overshadowed a strong performance from freshman Pat Cassa, who gave up three earned runs in 5 and 1/3 innings. The third run came on junior Eric Thornton's homerun against reliever Quentin Andes on a first-pitch fastball.
Until Sunday, ASU had been having an impressive weekend. The Sun Devils recorded 13-3 and 11-0 victories on Friday and Saturday. Junior Dustin Pedoria, named to the all-tournament team, went 6-for-11 over the weekend with five runs scored and two doubles.
On Friday, the Sun Devils played Cal State Northridge close as the game was tied 3-3 going into the seventh inning. After scoring three runs in the seventh to put the score at 6-3, the Sun Devils jumped all over the Matadors in the eighth inning, scoring seven runs in a rally fueled by several Matador miscues.
For the second week in a row, senior Jeff Mousser pitched well enough to win but did not get the decision after 6 and 1/3 innings. Mousser gave up three runs, only one of which was earned. Sophomore Erik Averill picked up the victory out of the bullpen.
On Saturday, Jason Urquidez, ASU's other member of the all-tournament team, threw six innings of shutout baseball against Utah. The Sun Devils scored three runs in the first, two of which came from a two-out single by junior Tuffy Gosewisch. The Sun Devils never looked back, winning the game 11-0 to give Urquidez two wins in as many collegiate starts.
Reach the reporter at matthew.schubert@asu.edu.
