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ASU baseball notches 11 hits, three home runs in 10-4 win over Boston College

The Sun Devils improved to 3-3 with the victory

20200221 Baseball vs Boston College 0026

ASU junior infielder Gage Workman (14) and junior outfielder Trevor Hauver (18) celebrate after scoring against Boston College on Friday, Feb. 21, 2020, at Phoenix Municipal Stadium. ASU defeated Boston College 10-4.


Three Sun Devils went deep as ASU baseball defeated Boston College 10-4 in game one of a three-game series Friday night at Phoenix Municipal Stadium.

Junior shortstop Alika Williams, junior third baseman Gage Workman and junior left fielder Trevor Hauver all hit home runs as the Sun Devils (3-3) notched 11 total hits on the evening.

“Tonight it just kind of clicked for everyone,” Workman said. “We know what we are going into, and the pitcher was hitting the zone a lot so we were aggressive today.”

Junior right-hander Boyd Vander Kooi was impressive in an extended relief role, striking out six batters over seven innings of one-run ball and earning the win for ASU.

Freshman left-hander Cooper Benson was making his second start for ASU after striking out eight over 6.1 innings in his first outing of the season.

Benson allowed a run on three hits in the first inning. He was able to avoid further damage by striking out sophomore second baseman Lucas Stalman with the bases loaded to end the frame.

The Sun Devils struck back in the bottom of the inning as Workman launched a three-run home run to right field off Boston College (3-2) sophomore starter Mason Pelio.

The Sun Devils and Eagles combined for nine total runners stranded through just the first inning and a half as Benson worked his way out of his own bases-loaded situation in the top of the second.

Benson loaded the bases yet again in the top of the third, this time with no outs. The Eagles scored after catcher Peter Burns was hit by a pitch, and Benson was replaced by Vander Kooi.

Vander Kooi allowed just one runner to score after inducing a double play followed by a groundout to bring ASU back to the plate with the game tied at three.

ASU was quick to reclaim the lead, putting up four runs in the bottom of the fourth. Williams started off with a two-run homer — his first of the season — and Hauver followed with a solo shot.

“We were trying to hit the ball up the middle,” Hauver said. “We stuck with our approach and got good pitches to hit. It felt really comfortable.”

Junior right fielder Hunter Jump then singled in an additional run to increase the lead to 7-3.

Boston College got a run back on an RBI groundout in the top of the sixth, but the Sun Devils struck with three runs in the bottom of the seventh, courtesy of a bases-loaded walk by Hauver and a pinch-hit, two-run single by freshman infielder Brian Kalmer.

Vander Kooi continued to impress in long relief, at one point retiring 11 Eagles in a row. He held the Eagles scoreless over the final three innings to seal the victory for the Sun Devils.

“Coming from a starter role into the bullpen, I didn’t get as much time to warm up,” Vander Kooi said. “Every inning, I was warming up more and more, and I finished strong.”

The Sun Devils will head back to Phoenix Municipal Stadium Saturday for game two of the series against Boston College at 6:30 p.m. MST.


Reach the reporter at hcroton@asu.edu or follow @thecrote on Twitter.

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