PHOENIX – San Diego State rallied to take one-run lead in the bottom of the ninth on Friday but could not make it stand, as host Arizona State scored two late runs to hand the Aztecs a tough 6-5 loss in the season opener for both teams at Phoenix Municipal Stadium.
With the score knotted at 4-4 entering the ninth, the Aztecs' Caden Miller led off with a bunt single down the first-base line and subsequently stole second in between a pair of ground outs. Then freshman Drew Giannini stepped to the plate as a pinch hitter and roped a hot smash off the glove of first baseman Ethan Long, who was charged with an error, as Miller raced home to give the visitors a 5-4 advantage.
SDSU's lead evaporated quickly in the bottom of the frame when Luke Keaschall tripled to left center, knocking in pinch hitter Kien Vu, who led off with a single up the middle. Following a pair of intentional walks to Ryan Campos and Long, Keaschall was forced out at the plate on a ground ball to short. However, Will Rogers put an abrupt end to the drama with a single to left field off the first pitch from Kelena Sauer as Campos trotted home with the game-winner.
Brock Peery (1-0), who struck out the lone batter he faced in the ninth, was credited with the victory, while Sauer (0-1) was saddled with the loss after allowing three runs on four hits and a pair of walks in 1 1/3 innings.
The Aztecs took their first lead of the night at 4-3 after scoring a pair of markers with in the eighth. SDSU loaded the bases on a Poncho Ruiz single followed by a pair of walks to TJ Fondtain and Tino Bethancourt, sandwiched around a flyout. Irvin Weems pinch ran for Fondtain, while Ruiz soon crossed the plate when Tyler Glowacki was hit by a pitch. Moments later, Weems scored when Xavier Gonzalez reached on a fielder's choice, which provide the Scarlet and Black a slim 4-3 edge.
That lead didn't last either, as Rogers led off the bottom of the inning with a single off the newly entered Sauer and promptly took third on a sacrifice bunt and stolen base. Shortly thereafter, Wyatt Crenshaw drove in Rogers with the tying run on a sacrifice fly to left.
ASU kept the Aztecs off the scoreboard for the first five innings, building a 3-0 lead on Jacob Tobias' RBI single in the first, Rogers' solo homer in the second and another run-scoring single by Luke Hill in the fourth.
SDSU finally broke through in the sixth when Bethancourt laced a single up the middle to plate Ruiz and Fondtain, who previously walked and advanced on Shaun Montoya's infield single.
Fondtain started on the mound for the Aztecs, allowing three runs on seven hits and one walk in 3 2/3 innings before giving way to Robert Brodell, who induced a pop-up to Keaschall with two runners aboard, preventing further damage by the Sun Devils.
Despite ceding two hits and a pair of walks over the next two innings, Brodell held ASU scoreless, as did Eldridge Armstrong III, who came on to pitch the seventh.
Rogers led all players with three hits, while Miller and Cole Carrigg had two each for SDSU in the loss.
The Aztecs will square off against the Sun Devils in game two of their series on Saturday, starting at 1 p.m. MT/Noon PT, with a link to streaming video available on GoAztecs.com.
Sun Devils Slip Past Aztecs in Season Opener, 6-5
