Behind a well-balanced offensive attack, the ASU baseball team defeated Auburn 8-3 at Packard Stadium on Sunday, earning a three-game sweep of the SEC squad.
The win pushed the No. 2 Sun Devils' record on the season to 15-0, illustrating that the squad is experiencing little drop-off under interim coach Tim Esmay.
Auburn scored two runs in the top of the first inning off sophomore starter Jake Borup, forcing ASU to play catch-up for the third straight game.
The Sun Devils answered quickly in the bottom of the first with the help of a two-run homer off the bat of sophomore Riccio Torrez, his third round tripper of the season.
After Auburn took the lead again with a run in the top of the second, an RBI groundout by senior Kole Calhoun scored senior Raoul Torrez to knot the score 3-3.
Junior Matt Newman belted his second home run of the season in the top of the fourth to give ASU the lead, one it would add to with three runs in the fifth and one in the eighth on an RBI base hit by Riccio Torrez.
Borup held Auburn scoreless after the first two frames and pushed his record on the season to 4-0 after tossing five innings.
Junior Jimmy Patterson, freshman Jake Barrett and sophomore Jordan Swagerty pitched four innings of scoreless relief.
ASU will now hit the road for the first time this season for a two-game series with Cal State Fullerton that begins Tuesday.
Reach the reporter at nkosmide@asu.edu
