Freshman R.J. Ybarra is quickly becoming a popular character in the ASU baseball clubhouse.
For the second time in three games, Ybarra knocked in the game-winning hit.
This time it was a walk-off single, to down No. 11 Oregon 6-5 in 11 innings in the first game of their three-game set.
The No. 22 Sun Devils (18-8-1, 6-6 Pac-12) and junior starter Trevor Williams had the game in control until the eighth when the Ducks (22-7, 8-2 Pac-12) smacked five straight hits off Williams to erase a 5-1 deficit.
Prior to the eighth, Williams (7.1 IP, 10 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 1 BB, 4 K) had allowed only five total hits to the Ducks.
“Trevor was cruising,” head coach Tim Esmay said. “Trevor was pitching really well and then before you know it, they strung some really good at-bats off him together in the eighth. We hadn’t seen that all game.”
The Sun Devils built their four-run lead after two lackluster offensive innings, springing to life in the third, scoring two runs with two outs.
Junior outfielder Kasey Coffman gave the Sun Devils the first run, doubling in the gap to left, then junior third baseman Michael Benjamin added the second on the next pitch, lining a single to left.
The Ducks struck back in the fourth off Williams, though, scoring a run off a groundout by freshman catcher Josh Graham.
Williams had a chance to get out of the inning, but Benjamin muffed a ball at third that would have gone for a double play.
The Sun Devils built the lead to 5-1 in the fifth with three more two-out RBI’s.
Benjamin homered off Ducks starter Jake Reed, then the Sun Devils put two more runners on base before sophomore outfielder Jake Peevyhouse brought them home on a triple.
The Sun Devils have now scored 21 of their last 33 runs with two outs and Esmay said their two-out efficiency was crucial tonight.
“Huge success with two outs tonight,” Esmay said. “That was the ballgame. We had some really good at-bats and we scored a lot of runs with two outs.”
The Sun Devils had chances to win the game in ninth and tenth, but Ducks junior closer Jimmie Sherfy came in and got out of two jams.
Sherfy was pulled after the tenth for lefty junior reliever Christian Jones, who hadn’t allowed a run in 13 previous innings this year.
Senior catcher Max Rossiter singled to lead off the inning, then Peevyhouse sacrificed him and Allen was walked, bringing up Ybarra, who said he knew he was going to pinch hit for the vacated designated hitter spot.
“I had an idea because a few days ago Esmay told me if there was a lefty in the bullpen to be ready,” Ybarra said.
It took Ybarra only three pitches to find the one he liked and drove it deep in the gap to left, bringing the Sun Devlis to .500 in Pac-12 play for the first time all season.
“It was just a hanging slider that happened not to break,” Ybarra said. “It started in the middle of the plate and I got it and got it pretty good.”
Esmay said this was a big team win, but that the Sun Devils won’t stick on it too long.
“It was our opportunity to get back in the hunt, but we have a really tough game tomorrow,” Esmay said. “Our guys are going to enjoy this one, but we need to keep the focus.”
Reach the reporter at dsshapi1@asu.edu
