Devils Fend Off Pesky Minutemen

The Massachusetts Minutemen were playing their very first game of the season on Friday night at Winkles Field-Packard Stadium at Brock Ballpark, but for the most part the visitors gave the top-ranked Arizona State Sun Devils all they could handle before collapsing late and falling to the Devils 13-4 in front of 2,548.

The Devils got on the board in the third inning when Brett Wallace hit his fifth home run of the season, a solo shot over the right field wall.

Josh Satow struggled to get into a rhythm all night long and gave the lead right back allowing UMass to score three times in the top of the 4th. Ryan Franczek would lead off the frame with a solo home run to tie the game at 1-1. Satow then struck out Jim McDonald and Mike Gerdman before falling into trouble. Like many rallies do, this one started with a two out walk of Ben Kessell.

Garrett Glashoff would follow with a single before Andy Tuetken would line one just past Marcel Champagnie to score two runs, putting the Minutemen up 3-1.

ASU would finally get to UMass starter Mitchell Clegg in the home half of the fifth inning. After a Raoul Torrez ground out, Wallace would walk and steal second base. Petey Paramore would follow with a walk and during Paramore’s at bat, Wallace stole third. Jason Kipnis was hit by a pitch setting up a bases loaded situation for DH Jason Jarvis.

Jarvis was sat down on strikes leaving the Devils with the possibility of leaving the bases loaded and giving UMass all the momentum they needed for the upset. In what was probably the biggest hit of the night, Ike Davis would double scoring Wallace and Paramore and tying the game at 3-3.

After the clutch double by Davis, the Devils would never look back. ASU would grab the lead for good in the sixth inning. Matt Newman walked with one out and was followed by an infield single by Torrez.

UMass pitcher Mitchell Eilenberg was called for a balk advancing the runners to second and third. UMass head coach Mike Stone opted to intentionally walk Wallace to face the ice cold Petey Paramore. Paramore would snap out of his slump with a single that plated Newman and Torrez. Paramore finished the night 2-2 with 2 RBIs. Wallace would score on a botched pickoff throw to first to score the Devils’ third run of the frame.

Reyes Dorado picked up the victory for the Devils as he relieved Satow in the fifth and threw two scoreless innings. Tommy Rafferty relieved Dorado in the seventh and only allowed one unearned run in his two innings of work.

ASU took a close game in the eighth and put it out of reach. The Devils scored seven times in the inning, highlighted by a Jason Jarvis bases clearing double and a two-run home run by pinch-hitter Rocky Laguna.

Kipnis and Ryan Sontag would add RBIs in the inning that continued the tradition of huge eighth innings for the Sun Devils. Over their last three ballgames, ASU has scored 14 runs in the eighth.

Game two of the three game set is tomorrow night at Packard Stadium. First pitch is at 6 PM.