March 24, 2001
CORVALLIS, Ore. -- The Pac-10 baseball game between the No. 3/5 Arizona State Sun Devils and the Oregon State Beavers endured a 35 minute rain delay in the fifth inning due to rain in the Corvallis area. The Sun Devils currently lead the contest 8-1 with the Beavers still to bat in the fifth inning.
Arizona State jumped out to a 2-0 lead with two unearned runs in the top of the second inning. Benefiting from two Beaver errors, ASU was staked with only one hit. Senior first baseman Jeff Phelps started the scoring rally with a double to the left field gap. He scored on what appeared to be an inning-ending double play, but an error by OSU third baseman Brian Barden extended the inning and gave ASU the 1-0 lead. Junior Brooks Conrad also reached on a error in the inning and scored ASU's second run on a groundout by third baseman Mike Lopez.
Two infield singles in the top of the third resulted in two runs to extend ASU's lead to 4-0. Junior right fielder Mel Stocker led off the inning with a single to shortstop. After Stocker's 16th stolen base of the year and a drag bunt by Junior Chris Duffy, a balk by Johnson gave the Sun Devils a 3-0 lead to score Stocker. Conrad plated Duffy with a sharp single to center field to cap the two-run rally.
The Beavers threatened in the bottom of the third, but left three men on base, walking away with only one run despite tabbing three hits. Switzer coaxed preseason All-American Brian Barden into a groundout to shortstop Dennis Wyrick to end the threat. Catcher Brian Ingram plated OSU's run with a sharp single to left field.
The Sun Devils exploded for four runs in the top of the fourth to extend their lead to 8-1. Wyrick doubled to left field to start the rally and Stocker recorded his second infield hit of the game to score Lopez. After an RBI groundout by Casey Myers, Stocker stole home with two outs and two strikes with Phelps at the plate. Phelps later singled in his at-bat to right field to cushion ASU's lead to 8-1.