As fall is winding down and the spring season approaches, the Maroon and Gold Series is in full swing, giving Sun Devils additional reps in their annual showdown. The two teams were drafted Sunday night for their best-of-three series.

Team Gold struck first when redshirt junior infielder Nu’u Contrades launched a 408-foot home run to left-center field to open the top of the first inning. Contrades and redshirt junior right-handed pitcher Colin Linder, captains of Team Gold, entered Game 2 eager to even the series after an 8-2 loss in Monday’s opener.

Contrades was one of many to cross the plate in the first inning, as Team Gold batted through its entire nine-man lineup and put up six runs. Sophomore catcher Coen Niclai added a three-run home run, and freshman catcher Cooper Clouser capped the inning with a towering shot to right.

Team Maroon starter Cole Carlon, a junior left-hander, lasted just one-third of an inning before captains Brody Briggs and Wyatt Halvorson made the decision to pull him.

In the top of the second, the momentum shifted toward Team Maroon. Redshirt junior catcher Jonny Garber hit a two-run home run, scoring himself and junior infielder PJ Moutzouridis, a newcomer from the University of California, Berkeley.

The third inning passed quietly with neither team scoring.

Team Gold turned to junior right-hander Josh Butler in the fourth, hoping to preserve its lead. Team Maroon plated two runs to close the gap.

Team Gold answered as junior infielder Dominic Longo drove an RBI double to left and Niclai followed with an RBI single to extend the lead to 9-4 heading into the bottom half of the inning.

The fifth inning opened with sophomore infielder Landon Hairston singling to right. Moutzouridis then reached second on an infield error, allowing both Hairston and redshirt junior infielder Garrett Michel to score for Team Maroon.

With Moutzouridis on third, graduate outfielder Matt Polk on second and freshman infielder Finn Leach on first after a walk, first-overall draft pick and sophomore infielder Beckett Zavorek delivered a two-RBI double to cut the deficit to 9-8. Team Gold later intentionally walked Zavorek in the sixth to limit his power threat.

The tug-of-war continued as Team Gold reclaimed its lead with three RBIs entering the seventh, holding a 12-11 advantage.

Team Maroon responded. Hairston opened the inning with a home run to right-center to tie the game, sparking an energetic celebration from the Maroon dugout. Riding the momentum, Polk blasted a 412-foot home run to give Maroon the lead.

In a game defined by constant swings, Team Gold delivered the final blow. Fifth-year outfielder Dean Toigo stepped up and launched a two-run home run, flipping the score for a 14-13 Gold victory. In a seven-inning game that totaled more than 25 runs, Team Gold made the move that mattered most.