Jan. 17, 2003
HILO, Hawai'i (www.TheSunDevils.com) -- Sophomore shortstop Dustin Pedroia was 3-for-4 with two RBI to help lead the No. 8 Arizona State Sun Devils to a 10-5 victory over the host Hawai'i-Hilo Vulcans in the first game of a college baseball doubleheader Friday afternoon at Wong Stadium. The win improved ASU to 2-0 on the season after defeating UHH 9-0 in the season opener Thursday night.
Pedroia (Woodland, Calif.), a 2002 first-team All-Pac-10 selection and freshman All-American, recorded two singles and a double and added two hit-by pitches to spark the ASU offense. The 2002 Team USA member notched his 28th career multi-hit game and extended his hitting streak to 13 games. In addition to the big game from Pedroia, ASU's junior designated hitter Jeremy West was 2-for-5 with a solo home run. The ASU offense has pounded out 19 runs and 29 hits in the first two games of 2003.
Senior relief pitcher Beau Vaughan recorded his first career win as a Sun Devil with a stellar 4.2-inning outing. Vaughan, who played last year at New Orleans and hails from Glendale's Mountain Ridge High School, struck out nine batters and allowed only three hits in relief of starter Matt Leaf. Junior closer Ryan Schroyer (Casa Grande, Ariz.) sealed the win by giving up only one hit and striking out four in the final two and a third innings to pick up the save.
The Sun Devils put a run on the board with a single-tally in the first frame without the benefit of a hit. Pedroia led off with a hit-by-pitch and came around to score on a sacrifice fly by junior center fielder Rodney Allen. Hawai'i-Hilo pulled even in the bottom of the second on a run-scoring single by left fielder Doug Nassimbene.
UHH took its first lead of the series with a run in the third inning off Leaf. A double by designated hitter Ernie Carvalho led off the inning and he later came around to score on a sacrifice fly by third baseman Tom Henderson.
ASU came back to take the lead with two runs in the top of the fourth inning. Bocchi came up with the big hit again with a run-scoring double to center field. Garrabrants plated the go-ahead run with a sacrifice fly to center field to score sophomore third baseman Frank Mesa.
With Vaughan in control of the Vulcan bats, the ASU offense got to work in the top of the sixth. The Devils sent eight batters to the plate to score four runs and take a 7-2 lead. Bocchi started the rally with a single and came around to score on a a single to right field by Pedroia. Freshman left fielder Travis Buck provided the big blow with a two-run single and sophomore first baseman Jeff Larish followed with a single to score ASU's seventh run of the game.
Junior designated hitter Jeremy West added to the ASU lead with a solo home run to lead off the seventh inning. Pedroia continued his hot hitting with a single down the left field line to increase the lead to 9-2.
The Vulcans staged a comeback in the bottom of the seventh with three runs to pull to within four runs at 9-5. After a two-run single by Henderson off freshman reliever Chris Beatty (Kokomo, Ind.), All-American pitcher Schroyer came in to strand two runners in scoring position and preserve the four-run ASU lead.
After game two of the doubleheader, the Vulcans and Sun Devils will meet three more times in Kona to complete the six-game, season-opening series. ASU and UHH will play a single game at 1 p.m. Saturday (4 p.m. Arizona Time) and a doubleheader starting at 10 a.m. Sunday.
Game Notes: ASU's run in the first inning extended its NCAA record consecutive games scoring streak to 435 games... Matt Leaf made his first career appearance as a Sun Devil after redshirting in 2002 after having Tommy John surgery... Pedroia's double in the top of the third extended his hitting streak to 13 games dating back to the end of the 2002 season.... West's home run in the seventh inning was the 20th of his Sun Devil career... with his nine K's in 4.2 innings, Beau Vaughan now has 12 K's in the first two games of the year... Schroyer's save was the ninth of his career to rank eighth in the ASU career record books.
--Sun Devil Baseball--