ASU freshman pitcher Mike Leake was the complete package Thursday against Stanford, despite a rocky start.
During his first complete game as a Sun Devil, Leake earned the victory in the No. 12 ASU baseball team's come-from-behind 5-4 win over the Cardinal at Packard Stadium.
"That's as good a pitching performance [in a series-opening game] in my 12 years [at ASU] for sure," ASU coach Pat Murphy said. "That was a lights-out performance."
Leake finished the night giving up only two earned runs while striking out eight to improve his record to 7-1 on the season.
The Cardinal jumped out to an early 2-0 lead against the Sun Devils in the first inning off of RBIs from outfielder Michael Taylor and second baseman Adam Sorgi.
Things didn't get any easier for Leake in the second inning, partially because of a throwing error by Sun Devil sophomore first baseman Brett Wallace.
After hitting Stanford catcher Brian Juhl with a pitch, Juhl eventually scored after Wallace threw a bunt by Cord Phelps out of the reach of ASU sophomore third baseman Matt Hall.
With the bases loaded, the Sun Devils were able to force two outs at the plate, but a walk to Stanford outfielder Michael Taylor made the score 4-0 Stanford.
"The first couple of innings I wasn't as upbeat," Leake said.
Murphy said a heckler behind the ASU dugout began to call for Leake's night to end in the second inning, telling Murphy, "What's wrong with you, take him out, you idiot."
"I went over to him after the game and said, 'What's wrong with you?'" Murphy said.
Murphy said he thought about taking Leake out several times in the game, but every time he asked him, Leake insisted on staying in.
While Leake struggled early, Stanford starter Jeremy Bleich cruised, striking out ASU sophomore catcher Petey Paramore to start the bottom of the second and junior outfielder Matt Spencer to end the inning.
Leake started taking control of the game in the third inning, getting two Cardinal batters out before striking Juhl out swinging on a 1-2 pitch.
It was at this time Leake said he found his groove.
"I tend to get angry [after struggling] and that's when I pitch the best," Leake said.
Unlike his start in the second inning, Paramore brought the Sun Devil offense to life, doubling to center to lead the inning off.
Davis dropped a single into shallow right to move Paramore to third, putting two on for ASU sophomore catcher Kiel Roling.
Roling brought home Paramore by slapping Bleich's 3-2 pitch to left field, finally putting the Sun Devils on the scoreboard and cutting their deficit to 4-1.
Juhl was involved in three fielding miscues, one being credited as an error to Juhl, which brought home three Sun Devils to tie the game at four in the fourth inning.
The Sun Devils nearly took the lead in the bottom of the fifth after Paramore, who was the designated hitter last night, doubled.
However, with two outs in the inning, Paramore raced to home plate off what would have been a base hit and was thrown out by Stanford outfielder Sean Ratliff.
Bleich committed the Cardinal's fourth error of the game when he mishandled Paramore's bunt in the top of the seventh, eventually prompting Stanford coach Mark Marquess to shelve Bleich after six innings, seven hits, six strikeouts and three errors.
Roling got to Cardinal reliever Erik Davis, hitting a single to left field to bring home Wallace. It was Roling's second RBI of the game, giving ASU the lead, 5-4, going into the eighth inning.
Taylor became the tying run at second base in the eighth after singling off Leake.
Taking matters into his own hands, Leake stranded Taylor at second by taking down three straight Stanford batters with strikes.
Leake finished off the Cardinal in the ninth inning, striking out two more to go three up and three down.
Leake said his cutter and sinker pitches worked the best for him, along with his changeup.
"He was great," Roling said. "He hit his spots wherever he wanted. And when you hit your spots with that many different pitches, it's going to be hard to hit."
Murphy said it was fun to watch Leake pitch, and for such a close game, he can't think of another ASU performance that rivals Leake's.
Reach the reporter at: devin.hicks@asu.edu.
