The No. 1 ASU baseball team saw its win streak end at 24 after a 12-inning loss to Oregon on Friday night in Eugene.But the Sun Devils wasted no time getting to work on a new streak, toppling the Ducks 7-3 on Sunday to win their first Pac-10 road series of the season.
ASU (25-1, 5-1 Pac-10) faced a short turnaround after a weather delay and an extra-inning game on Friday that kept the Sun Devils on the field until past midnight transitioned into a 1 p.m. rubber match on Saturday.
Sophomore Jake Borup struggled out the gates, allowing three runs in the first inning. But as has been the tall right-hander’s trademark this season, Borup shut down the Ducks (19-10, 2-4 Pac-10) the rest of the way, while the ASU offense came to life.
The Sun Devils began battling back in the top of the second, when RBI singles by sophomores Drew Maggi and Jordan Swagerty pulled ASU to within one.
In the sixth inning, senior Kole Calhoun crossed the plate when junior Matt Newman grounded into a double play.
The Sun Devils grabbed the lead in the seventh inning with a three-run frame, highlighted by a two-run single by Calhoun that scored Maggi and senior Raoul Torrez, who had singled home Swagerty earlier in the inning.
Sophomore Zack MacPhee added scoreboard padding in the ninth when an RBI single brought home Maggi.
After giving up two hits and three runs in the first, Borup allowed no runs and just four hits in the next six innings en route to earning his sixth win of the season.
Freshman Jake Barrett pitched two innings of one-hit relief to earn his first career save.
On a wet night in Eugene Friday, the Sun Devils’ normally reliable defense committed three errors.
The costliest of those came in the bottom of the 12th when sophomore third baseman Riccio Torrez’s errant throw to first allowed the Ducks to move a runner to second, allowing UO freshman third baseman J.J. Altobelli to hand ASU its first loss with a walk-off RBI single.
The Sun Devils’ defeat wasn’t for lack of chances, as the squad stranded 10 runners in the contest.
Maggi was 6-for-13 (.462) in the three-game series to lead the Sun Devils at the plate.
ASU will be back in action on Monday when the team hosts San Diego for a two-game set at Packard Stadium.
The Sun Devils’ 24-game winning streak is the second longest in program history and the squad set the mark for best start to a season after winning their 22nd straight game on March 27.
Reach the reporter at nkosmide@asu.edu
