PHOENIX— Going into the bottom of the 10th inning, Arizona State's lineup hit a measly 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position.

Normally, a poor performance in this category doesn’t bode well for a team, especially in clutch scenarios.

However, the Sun Devils didn’t need runners in scoring position, as sophomore catcher Coen Niclai and junior first baseman Dominic Smaldino combined for one of the wildest walk-offs under the lights of Phoenix Municipal Stadium.

“To be honest, I just blacked out a little bit,” Niclai said, “Hit the ball, I saw a little snapshot, I saw it bounce over the third baseman. I honestly didn’t think they would send Dom (Smaldino) … It's hard to remember anything, but it was great.”

Down 1-2 in the count with two outs in the bottom of the 10th, Niclai sent a ball that was rolling foul carrening off the third base bag and into shallow left field, reaching base and advancing Smaldino. Despite already advancing a runner, an opportunistic error by Grand Canyon's (8-14) left fielder opened the door for Smaldino to score, securing a 4-3 ASU (15-5, 2-1 Big 12) victory on Tuesday, March 17, in front of a packed crowd of 4479. 

The Sun Devils squeaked out a one-run victory Tuesday night despite out-hitting the Lopes 12-6 due to their abysmal hitting with runners on base, where the team hit 4-for-15.

Regardless of the fashion it came in and the statistics surrounding it, head coach Willie Bloomquist came away proud of his team's performance Tuesday night.

“Obviously, never going to be disappointed about a win, especially a walk-off. We came out, and we did what we had to do to get a win,” Bloomquist said. “Coen (Niclai) came up big with not only the two-run homer but there with the base hit at the end.

“Literally (a) ‘base hit.’”

While the winning run didn’t officially go down as an RBI for Niclai, the Oregon transfer did a majority of the heavy lifting for the Sun Devils' offense on Tuesday. The catcher walked, had two hits and two RBI, both of which came on a towering seventh-inning home run to right field that knotted the score at three.

“Earlier in the game, (I) felt like I was a little erratic,” Niclai said. “Going back to what I trust and knowing that I can do what I have to do.

“See the ball. Hit the ball.”

In the eighth inning, Niclai grounded out to short with runners on first and second; however, the young catcher maintained his composure in order to secure the win for ASU. 

“Didn’t come up earlier in the game. Had a little ground ball over there (left infield),” Niclai said, “but I just (tried) to calm myself down as best I could and put together something.” 

Outside of Niclai, fifth-year outfielder Dean Toigo continued producing in his first year as a Sun Devil, getting the team's scoring started in the sixth inning, retaking the team lead in home runs with a deep drive to right field for his ninth of the young season.

Toigo broke a tie between him and sophomore infielder Landon Hairston for the team lead in home runs, and despite the achievement restrained himself from bragging too much.

“I didn’t want to put it in his face too much,” Toigo said. “It feels good, I didn’t really have time to take it in, because (there) was still a little bit of work to do when I hit it, but it feels good.”

While ASU’s offense did enough to secure the win Tuesday night, the pitching staff had one of its best performances of the season, limiting the GCU lineup to just three runs despite heavy base traffic in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings. 

Niclai acknowledged the pitching staff's noteworthy performance, noting that both sides have each other's backs. 

“We’re just playing our game,” Niclai said on the added pressure of the pitching staff's performance. “I think both sides of the ball know the strengths that we have and how good we can be. 

“I think today the pitchers stepped up for us, and we appreciate that, and hopefully down the road we’re able to step up for them in some tight spots. I think everybody just appreciates the strength on both sides of the ball.”

Coming off their first conference series of the year, the Sun Devils look to build upon momentum against Kansas State, where the team will face their first road conference opponent, a red-hot offense and some unseasonal weather in Manhattan, Kansas. 

“We are a top offensive team, so it’ll be a fun one. We’ve got to execute on the pitching side of things, and we’ve got to come ready to bang with those guys,” Bloomquist said. “They put up some big numbers here the past few weeks and are really well coached, and we’re going to have our hands full … We’ve got to find a way to win on the road, that's going to be a different environment for us.”

Not only will the upcoming series present a challenge for ASU against the pesky Wildcats, but it will also require the team to find success in a somewhat colder climate.

“We have a hard time in that cold weather stuff,” Bloomquist said. “One way or another were going to have to deal with elements, whether it's hot, cold, or rain.” 

While it might not have come in the most desirable fashion, Bloomquist takes pride in getting a win against a cross-town foe, no matter the circumstances.

“Grand Canyon always plays us tough, they’re always up to play us,” Bloomquist said. “They’re tough, they scrap, they play hard, they seem to execute (phenomenally) against us every time we play them … Hats off to them, they always seem to step up and find a way to play us extremely tough.

“But it is big for us to continue winning (these) in-state games.”