A two-run home run from sophomore shortstop Colby Woodmansee in the first inning and an RBI groundout from Coltin Gerhart in the fifth inning looked to be enough for No. 6 ASU baseball to squeak out a win against New Mexico State Tuesday night.
But when the Aggies (4-21-1, 1-4-1 WAC) tacked on two runs to tie the game in the fourth inning with freshman left-hander Tucker Baca on the mound, the Sun Devils (19-7, 7-2 Pac-12) decided they'd had enough.
In the sixth, sophomore third baseman David Greer and sophomore catcher Brian Serven singled to bring redshirt senior Trever Allen to the plate.
On a 1-2 count, Allen hammered a pitch over the wall in right field to put ASU up 6-2 and break open a once-close game and chased senior left-handed Aggie starter Michael Paulson (0-2) after 5.1 innings.
Allen, having recently snapped an 18-game hitting streak, didn't think his hit was going to clear the fence initially.
"Thank God for the wind," Allen said. "I'll take it though. I'm a completely different hitter than I was the the last few years. I'm focused on getting my average up, cutting down on strikeouts, moving guys over and doing what the team needs me to do."
Freshman second baseman Andrew Snow tacked on an insurance run to increase ASU's lead to 7-3.
In his debut as a starting pitcher, junior right-hander David Graybill tossed three no-hit innings, allowing just one baserunner – senior left fielder Quinnton Mack – on a four-pitch walk.
Mack didn't last very long on base, however. Sophomore catcher Brian Serven gunned him down on an attempted steal at second.
An unspecified muscle injury kept Graybill from throwing in practice and didn't get an opportunity to show head coach Tracy Smith he was ready despite his offseason work.
"It felt good just to be out on the mound pitching again," Graybill said. "It's tough, you work so much in the fall and then the season comes and you have no patience for little stuff like that. It felt good throwing with ease and without any pain."
Despite having a midweek game early after playing a conference series this weekend, Smith utilized it as an opportunity to test out some of the younger arms hovering around the bubble of potentially making a bullpen appearance or future midweek starts.
"Some guys have had plenty of opportunities to secure roles," Smith said. "It's time for some other guys to get some chances and some looks. It's good timing for us as a team because we're looking for those quality innings. I'd like to see him back it up, and I think (Graybill) has earned a chance to back it up again."
With a trip to play Pac-12 cellar-dweller Utah looming Thursday, Smith wants the same attitude his team has brought to midweek games thus far.
"I didn't know what to expect," Smith said. "I thought their approach in batting practice, their demeanor on the practice field and the dugout was very business-like and professional, like they knew they had business to take care of, and then we'll worry about the weekend."
Notes:
– Serven shifted to right field in the top of the eighth inning, the first time he's ever done so in an ASU uniform.
"We had him taking fly balls yesterday," Smith said. "We wanted to get Cerbo in there, (but) if you get a foul-tip and Ybarra's out of the game, there's your third catcher. We have to keep Serven on the diamond somewhere. He can play anywhere, he's a very good athlete."
Reach the reporter at smodrich@asu.edu or follow @StefanJModrich on Twitter.
Like State Press Sports on Facebook and follow @statepressport on Twitter.
