March 18, 2012
LOS ANGELES - The 11th-ranked Arizona State baseball team won game one of its doubleheader against UCLA, 4-3, on Sunday at Jackie Robinson Stadium.
Abe Ruiz hit a pair of home runs in the fourth and sixth innings, respectively, and Joey DeMichele added a solo home run to pace the Devils (12-6, 1-1).
Right-hander Trevor Williams (5-0) earned his fifth consecutive victory after allowing one earned run in seven innings. He gave up 10 hits, one walk and added a strikeout.
Right-hander Jake Barrett (1) picked up the first save of the season for the Sun Devils after pitching the ninth inning. He conceded one earned run on a pair of hits, but struck out the final batter to end the game.
DeMichlele and Ruiz hit back-to-back solo home runs to begin the top of the sixth frame, pushing the Devils' lead to three, 4-1.
ASU rattled off three consecutive hits with two outs in the fourth inning, including a one-run homer by Ruiz and an RBI single by Rouric Bridgewater, to give the Devils a 2-1 lead. Ruiz began the rally with his shot to right-center field and Allen followed up with a single before Bridgewater brought him from first with an RBI base hit.
Right-hander Alex Blackford took the mound in the eighth inning and surrendered one run on one hit.
Bruins (14-4, 1-1) right-hander Nick Vander Tuig (2-1) went eight innings, allowing four earned runs on seven hits, in the loss.
Jeff Gelalich led off the bottom of the second inning with a home run to center field to give the Bruins the early advantage, 1-0.
The Bruins added runs in both the eighth and ninth innings to cut the Devils' lead to one.
The Sun Devils face UCLA in game two of the doubleheader at Jackie Robinson Stadium in Los Angeles. First pitch is set for 30 minutes after the final out of game one.
Game notes: The Sun Devils have now hit back-to-back home runs twice this season, with the first occurrence coming in the third inning of the Feb. 18 game against Western Michigan...Ruiz now has six home runs this season and DeMichele has three...the last time the Sun Devils played a conference doubleheader was at Washington State on March 31, 2007...they split the doubleheader, losing, 1-6, and winning, 8-3.