March 13, 2009
SURPRISE, Ariz. - Jason Kipnis drove in four runs and Carlos Ramirez hit a three-run homer to lead the No. 4 Arizona State University baseball team to a 9-4 victory over Kansas on Friday in the Coca-Cola Classic at Surprise Stadium. The Sun Devils improve to 13-2 on the season with the win.
Kipnis had a three-run double and a sacrifice fly, while Ramirez hit his third home run in as many games in Surprise and his eighth of the season. Riccio Torrez went 3-for-4 at the plate, his second straight game with three hits.
Seth Blair started and went five shutout innings, allowing four hits and striking out four to improve to 2-0 on the season.
Both Blair and Kansas pitcher Shaeffer Hall kept the opposing offenses at bay through four innings, but the Sun Devils broke the game open with six runs in the bottom of the fifth. Andy Workman and Raoul Torrez each had RBI singles, Kipnis had a sacrifice fly and Ramirez capped off the inning with a towering three-run homer to deep left.
Kansas third baseman Tony Thompson hit a two-run home run to left off ASU reliever Mitchell Lambson in the top of the sixth, but the Sun Devils answered in the bottom half of the inning with Kipnis' three-run double to left.
The Jayhawks scored two runs in the ninth, but Riccio Torrez caught a liner to second to end the inning and secure the 9-4 win.
The Sun Devils and Jayhawks continue their three-game series in Surprise on Saturday, with first pitch schedules for one hour after the Spring Training game between the Arizona Diamondbacks and the Kansas City Royals.