The visiting New Mexico Lobo baseball team did all it could one night after losing by 17 runs: It showed up. But its attempt at upset proved feeble yet again.
The undefeated, No. 1 Sun Devils routed New Mexico, 10-1, Wednesday for the second time in as many tries.
"I was more pleased tonight than I have been in a while," said ASU coach Pat Murphy.
New Mexico's starting pitcher, sophomore Ryan Escarcega, lasted just 2/3 of an inning as ASU (9-0) batted around in the first frame to touch home plate five times.
Sophomore Mike Leake (3-0) said his arm felt a little tender, but nonetheless threw 73 pitches in six innings, piling up eight strikeouts and allowing just two hits. He said he would have gone deeper into the game had it been later in the season.
"I would try to extend it," he said. "If I can't finish it off, I trust the whole bullpen. It's a lot deeper this year."
Leake has yielded just one walk in 18 2/3 innings pitched this season
Junior Ike Davis struck out the side in the eighth inning and sophomore closer Jason Jarvis yielded New Mexico's lone run in the ninth.
After Escarcega walked two batters in the top of the first, Davis hit a high hopper through the right side to drive home redshirt sophomore Jason Kipnis.
Davis went 1-for-5 Wednesday, but Murphy said each was a quality at-bat.
"He had a great night," Murphy said.
Two walks later, sophomore second baseman Raoul Torrez livened the rally, pulling the first pitch he saw down the left field line for a two-run double.
Torrez finished the night 2-for-3 at the plate, and Murphy said while he's not giving up on backup junior Jake Elmore, Torrez has made a statement.
"He's been sensational," Murphy said. "He's clearly won the job."
Escarcega (1-1) then departed, putting the onus on senior righty Adam Skelton and the rest of the Lobos' bullpen.
Skelton threw 3 2/3 innings before Kipnis raised his blood pressure.
Kipnis smacked his team-leading fifth home run in the fourth inning, a two-run shot aided by the wind out to right field. He is tied for first on the squad in RBIs with 15.
The Lobos mounted a threat, advancing a runner to second base in both the fifth and six frames. Leake immediately clamped down each time but not without aid from his defense. In the fifth, Torrez tracked down a ground ball behind second base and heaved it in rhythm to first base to end the Lobo threat.
Torrez had a chance to add offensively in the sixth with runners at second and third base but struck out looking. Senior Ryan Sontag pinch-hit for the Brophy Prep product in the seventh and knocked in ASU's eighth run with a sacrifice fly.
Junior outfielder Hayden Moss, who made the team after walk-on tryouts, pinch-hit and struck out in his first game this season. He was deemed eligible Wednesday morning.
The Sun Devils play host to UMASS Friday, Saturday and Sunday at Packard Stadium.
Reach the reporter at: apentis@asu.edu.
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