PHOENIX — Senior left-handed reliever Sean Fitzpatrick jogged in from the bullpen in the fifth inning with the bases loaded and two outs, a pivotal moment in a one-run game that had seen little offensive production to that point.
The southpaw threw three straight sliders to strike out St. John’s junior third baseman Jayder Raifstanger, a sequence that recaptured the momentum for Arizona State, and it did not let go.
Fitzpatrick wasn’t the only Sun Devil who dazzled on the mound in the contest, as four pitchers combined for nine innings of one-run ball, leading ASU (6-0) to a 3-1 victory over St. John’s (1-5) on Saturday, Feb. 21, at Phoenix Municipal Stadium. While the offense had a quiet day at the plate, the pitching staff stepped up, and they were ready for the occasion.
“Every time I get the ball, just give the team what I have that day,” junior right-hander Josh Butler said.
Butler did just that, as his 2 ⅓ innings of relief work were just about lights-out, giving head coach Willie Bloomquist the ability to turn to his closer, junior Derek Schaefer, in the eighth inning with a two-run advantage.
Schaefer shut the door, something he embraces, finishing off a pitching performance that saw the Sun Devils hold the Red Storm hitless (0-8) at the plate with runners in scoring position.
That zero average at the dish in big situations was boosted by none other than ASU’s starter, junior Colin Linder, who went 4 ⅔ innings, giving up only one run.
Yet that one run came loud, as sophomore first baseman Adam Agresti put one up and over the left field wall into the bushes, tying the game in the third inning.
However, the Red Storm failed to cross the plate again despite multiple prime threats later on in the contest.
Linder found himself in trouble a few times due to two hits and three walks, but the right-hander never wavered, working out of jams with runners in scoring position in both the first and fourth innings.
While the pitching was the definition of lights-out, the staff had the defense to thank, as it continuously showed up, making both the routine and not-so-routine efforts, including a diving catch by sophomore left fielder Landon Hairston in the top of the seventh that got a nice standing ovation from the crowd.
“Just knowing we can attack guys with all of our stuff in the zone every single time,” Fitzpatrick said on his teammates stellar defense, “and whether we get a whiff or we get a ball in play, knowing that those guys will make plays.”
The only blemish on the defense came from a passed ball that sophomore catcher Coen Niclai failed to handle, yet no damage came.
Bloomquist said he’s assuredly proud of the defensive product that the team put on the field today.
Despite the pitching staff’s success today, the game never felt truly comfortable until the Sun Devils recorded the 27th out, and for the first time all season, the offense was to blame.
ASU’s bats struggled to find consistency, as it only recorded five hits in the contest.
Two of them, however, carried a little more weight than others in both timing and productivity.
Junior center fielder Dominic Longo lined a shot for a single with two outs in the bottom of the second before graduate student Matt Polk hit an opposite-field triple to open the game's scoring.
In the following frame, the red-hot junior second baseman Nu’u Contrades hit one right back up the middle with two outs and runners on first and second to plate another run for the Sun Devils, but the fire didn’t last much longer.
A suicide squeeze in the fifth inning was ASU’s third and final run of the game, as a more conservative strategy proved to be pivotal in gaining a cushion on its lead.
“We were just having a hard time squaring anything up today,” Bloomquist said. “I wanted to get that run across, try and stretch it to a two-run lead so a solo homer doesn’t tie it.”
For a team that has done nothing but score runs over their first five games, the Sun Devils are learning how to win in different ways, including playing small ball and dueling on the mound, which will be a big key down the stretch.
After tomorrow’s series finale against the Red Storm, ASU begins a gauntlet of games away from home, including dates with No. 21 Oklahoma, No. 13 Tennessee and No. 4 Mississippi State.
While Bloomquist mentioned the only game on his radar was tomorrow, his pitching staff has the confidence that this 6-0 start is only a glimpse of things to come, no matter who the opponent may be.
“We have the advantage as pitchers no matter what,” Schaefer said. “We don’t have to be perfect, we just got to go dominate.”