Feb. 18, 2012
TEMPE, Ariz. - The 15th-ranked Arizona State baseball team, behind a high-powered offense and an equally potent pitching staff, defeated Western Michigan 13-0 Saturday afternoon at Packard Stadium. Freshman LHP Adam McCreery collected the win in his first collegiate start, allowing just two hits and striking out five in four innings of work.
Sophomore third baseman Michael Benjamin collected a team-high four RBIs, including a three-run homer, and redshirt sophomore catcher Beau Maggi added three hits and a pair of RBIs as eight different Sun Devil batters drove in runs. The Devils racked up 13 runs in the first four innings of play before a trio of ASU newcomers finished out the game on the mound.
Freshman RHP Darin Gillies took the mound in the fifth inning and struck out the side, finishing the game with no runs, two hits and five strikeouts in three innings. Junior LHP Matt Dunbar pitched a scoreless eighth inning before junior RHP Robert Ravago closed out the ninth with no hits and no runs.
The Sun Devils scored five runs on five hits in the third inning, capped off by back-to-back home runs from Benjamin and junior outfielder Andrew Aplin. Sophomore outfielder Kasey Coffman added an RBI single to complete the Devils' big inning.
ASU added four runs in the fourth inning behind a pair of RBIs from Maggi.
The scoring started in the first inning as Aplin reached second on a hard-hit ball down the right-field line and then advanced to third on a passed ball before junior second baseman Joey DeMichele drove him in on a sacrifice fly.
Western Michigan starting LHP Steve Laudicina took the loss for the Broncos, allowing nine runs on eight hits in 2.1 innings.
The Sun Devils close out their three-game series with Western Michigan on Sunday afternoon at Packard Stadium. First pitch is set for 12:30 p.m.