BSB: Cougs nipped in 9th by Arizona State

TEMPE, Ariz. – Washington State rallied with a run in the eighth inning and another in the ninth inning before No. 9 Arizona State won 8-7 with a walkoff solo home run to lead off the ninth Saturday night in Game 2 of a 3-game series.

The Cougars (6-12, 0-2 Pac-12) tied the game in the ninth on a Danny Sinatro RBI-single but the Sun Devils (18-0, 2-0 Pac-12) led off the ninth with a solo homer to left for the walkoff win.

Dillon Plew, Danny Sinatro and Rob Teel each recorded two hits and drove in two runs while Andres Alvarez added two hits.

Cougar starting pitcher A.J. Block worked five innings, struck out four and allowed four runs on four hits and retired 11 straight at one point before exiting in the sixth.

Arizona State used the long ball to build a 3-0 lead, hitting a solo shot in the first and a two-run homer in the second. I

n the fourth, the top of the Cougar lineup got things going as Plew led off the inning with a walk and Sinatro pulled a pitch down the right field line for an RBI triple. Alvarez followed with an RBI single through the right side and two batters later Teel scored Alvarez with a ground out to second and tying the game at 3-3.

In the sixth, Alvarez blooped a single into left field and stole second but was stranded after a flyout and a groundout. In the bottom of the inning, ASU chased Block after a walk, a single through the left side and another walk to load the bases with nobody out.

Freshman reliever Zane Mills took over from the bullpen and struck out the first batter he faces but allowed a run to score on a wild pitch. Mills bounced back by striking out the batter for the second out and ended the inning with a ground out to Kodie Kolden at third who made a diving stop before firing to first for the third out.

In the seventh, Rob Teel rolled a single back up the middle to start the inning and two batters later, Kolden worked a walk and Plew followed by hammering am 0-1 pitch and off the right field wall for a two-run triple and a 5-4 Cougar lead.

In the bottom of the inning, ASU used a one-out single, a stolen base, a wild pitch and an RBI-single through the left side of a drawn in infield to tie the game at 5-5. Another single followed and the Sun Devils loaded the bases after a bad-hop jumped up on Kolden at third base.

The following hitter rolled a single through the right side to score two for a 7-5 ASU lead.

In the eighth, Montez pulled a double just inside the first base bag and down the right field line. He later scored on Teel's single into right center, cutting the ASU lead to 7-6.

In the ninth, Kolden reached on a one-out fielding error and Plew followed with an opposite-field double off the left field wall that Kolden was trying to the score but collided with the umpire while rounding third base, keeping him at third base. Sinatro singled home Kolden to tie the game at seven but ASU ended the threat with a fly out.

INSIDE THE BOX SCORE: Collin Montez walked in the 2nd to extend his on-base streak to 14 games. . .Dillon Plew walked in the 4th and has reached base in all 18 games this season and in 21 straight dating back to last season. . .Danny Sinatro tripled in the 4th to extend his on-base streak to 14 games and hitting streak to 6 games. . .Kyle Manzardo singled through the right side in the 4th to extend his hitting streak to 6 games. . .Block retired 11 straight at one point, retiring the final 2 hitters of the second and retired the side in the 3rd, 4th and 5th innings

NEXT UP: The series wraps up Sunday at Noon on the Pac-12 Networks.