PHOENIX — Entering play on Saturday evening, West Virginia left-handed pitcher Maxx Yehl had allowed three earned runs all season in 32 innings pitched. 

Add a 48/11 strikeout to walk ratio, and Arizona State faced an arm with the seventh-lowest ERA in the nation at 0.84.

Yet, the Sun Devils doubled the left-hander’s earned runs allowed, highlighted by sophomore left fielder Landon Hairston’s team-leading 14th home run of the year. 

While No. 22 Arizona State broke into uncharted offensive territory, its own pitching staff and bottom of the order failed to keep up, as junior right-handed pitcher Alex Overbay allowed eight runs in 2 ⅔ innings to No. 17 West Virginia en route to a 13-7 defeat on Saturday, March. 28, at Phoenix Municipal Stadium. 

Since moving into the rotation on March 7, Overbay has allowed 19 runs in 10 ⅔ innings, something expected when he cannot locate his pitches, head coach Willie Bloomquist said. 

“He’s got really good stuff, but stuff doesn't play when you're continuously 2-0 … ,” Bloomquist said. “He's got to work ahead in the counts, bottom line.

“Doesn't matter if you're in the starting spot or the middle spot or the late spot, just go get outs and do what you do best, attack the zone. Work ahead, and that's usually when those guys are successful.” 

After allowing a run in the first on an RBI single by graduate center fielder Sean Smith, Overbay did escape the inning without any further damage. 

However, constantly falling behind in counts and leaving pitches over the heart of the plate plagued the right-hander’s second inning of work. Unlike Friday evening, when the Mountaineers failed to score more than a single run in any inning, the offense broke out and scored six in the second.  

Despite the six-run frame, an unsung hero emerged for the Sun Devils. In relief of Overbay stepped junior right-hander Jaden Alba, who threw 3 ⅔ scoreless innings – the only ASU pitcher to not allow a run. 

Facing a significant early deficit, Alba said he focused on attacking hitters early in the count and getting his team back in the dugout. 

“The score, it is what it is, but obviously you want to throw up as many zeros as possible, no matter what the situation is, what the score is,” Alba said. 

Stretching from the third to sixth inning, the right-hander retired 11 of 13 batters he faced, presenting every chance for the Sun Devils to answer back offensively.

“He at least calmed the waters and gave us a chance to try to claw back in there,” Bloomquist said. 

Outside of Alba, the remainder of the Sun Devil bullpen surrendered five runs and seven hits over just three innings. 

A constant from the pitching outside of Alba, an inability to work ahead in counts.

“I think the biggest thing from our staff looking at this thing is just get outs,” Bloomquist said. “Doesn't matter if you're in the starting spot or the middle spot or the late spot, just go get outs and do what you do best. Attack the zone. Work ahead. And that's usually when those guys are successful.” 

Despite the pitching allowing 13 runs, Bloomquist said the offense must do more to produce against top-tier pitching.

 “We're going to have to beat good arms as we move forward,” Bloomquist said. 

Although Bloomquist liked his hitters’ approach against the West Virginia southpaw, and simply said they couldn’t string together a rally to show for it, the bottom of the lineup needs to produce. 

The 7-8-9 trio of junior center fielder Dominic Longo, sophomore catcher Coen Niclai and sophomore second baseman Beckett Zavorek combined to go 2-for-9. 

Calling the offense "stagnant,” Bloomquist said they’ll need to shake things up, including possibly moving Hairston to the infield.   

“We'll get creative with it if we have to, but right now we just got to figure out ways to get some more production out of a couple of those guys,” Bloomquist said.

A candidate, Bloomquist suggested, to get more playing time is graduate outfielder Matt Polk, who pinch hit in the ninth inning and hit a three-run home run. 

Leading up to his at-bat, Polk said he prepared by being competitive. 

“We played baseball a long time, just going in there and competing is the biggest thing,” Polk said. “I'm just ready to compete at all times.” 

Though the Sun Devils pieced together four runs over the final two innings, the big offensive blow came on Hairston’s two-run home run in the fifth off Yehl. 

Polk had high remarks for Hairston as a teammate and ballplayer. 

“I think Landon (Hairston) is the best hitter I've ever had the opportunity to play with … ,” Polk said. “I think he's really a one-of-a-kind hitter and or one-of-a-kind talent on the baseball field. And I'm just glad he's on our side.”