March 7, 2009
TEMPE, Ariz. - The fifth ranked Arizona State baseball team swept away the Holy Cross Crusaders 11-3 on Saturday afternoon in front of 2,765 fans at Winkles Field-Packard Stadium at Brock Ballpark. Four Sun Devil pitchers combined to hold the Crusaders to only five hits, while the ASU bats pounded out 12 hits, their third straight game with double-digit hits. The win puts ASU at 11-1 on the year.
Jason Franzblau got the start on the bump for ASU, going 3.1 innings and striking out six in a no decision. Mitchell Lambson relieved him and went 3.2, striking out four to pick up his third win of the year. Kole Calhoun and Jordan Swagerty pitched the final two innings without allowing a hit.
Mike Leake got the scoring started for the Sun Devils in the bottom of the second, tripling to right field, scoring Andy Workman and Raoul Torrez. Zack MacPhee would add two more with a double down the left field line to make it 4-0. A Matt Newman RBI single would score Jason Kipnis to make it 5-0 Sun Devils after two.
ASU would add to their lead in the third, scoring three more times to make it 8-0. Raoul Torrez brought a run home with an RBI fielder's choice, then Leake brough home another run with a double. Torrez would come around to score on a wild pitch to cap the scoring.
The Crusaders chipped away at the lead in the fourth on a two-run home run by Eric Oxford, but Kipnis would get them both back on an RBI double to center. Holy Cross would add one in the seventh, but an Andy Workman double to center in the eighth scored Kipnis to make it 11-3 and finish the scoring.
Jason Kipnis, Andy Workman and Mike Leake all had two hits, while Leake led the way with three RBI. Kipnis and MacPhee each knocked in two.
The Sun Devils now head to Surprise, Arizona for five games at Surprise Stadium. They will take on the Kansas State Wildcats on Tuesday and Wednesday, then the Kansas Jayhawks in a three-game series starting on Friday. All three games will begin 45 minutes following the Major League spring training games.