The skies opened up as Christian Bodlovich jogged in from the right field bullpen in the sixth inning. Whether Willie Bloomquist had asked for a sign from God or not, he got it as he tossed the baseball back and forth between each hand while awaiting the junior right hander’s arrival to the mound. Bodlovich inherited a bases loaded one-out situation with ASU up 2-1, and he delivered. Amidst the mist, Bodlovich got a strikeout and induced an inning-ending fly ball to preserve a lead that would ultimately stick, as the Sun Devils emerged victorious 3-1.
“Bod did what Bod does, coming in and getting us out of a jam,” Bloomquist said. “I was very happy with the whole pitching staff and their performance. All in all, a good team win; we’ll take it.”
“It’s definitely a factor, but at the end of the day, it’s just another obstacle,” Bodlovich said of the sudden rainfall. “The goal is always attack every hitter, no matter how many pitches it takes.”
Bodlovich was the bullpen’s clutch performer, but Chase Webster shined for the long haul. Webster went three shutout innings, allowing just one hit and earning his first save of the season. His fastball was consistently in the low to mid-90s, and the Texas Tech transfer flashed a couple of 96’s for the home crowd.
“We’re preaching to continue to not beat yourself,” Bloomquist said about his bullpen. “Some of it on opening weekend could have been nerves a little bit. We have confidence in our guys that they’re going to find the zone and at least force the offense to beat us.
It wasn’t in his original plan, but with the way Webster was throwing the ball and with the game staying close, the first-year head coach knew he had to stick with the right-hander.
“Can’t say enough about Webby,” Bloomquist added. “What he did coming in at the end of the game there, it was the best I’ve seen him throw the ball.”
ASU drew first blood for the fourth time in as many games in the home half of the second inning. Conor Davis, who’s been on base nearly half the time since Friday’s opener, drew a walk to lead off the frame. Jacob Tobias slapped a single up the middle, setting the table for a Nate Baez RBI double. The Sun Devils added a run in the fifth when Ethan Long plated Hunter Haas with a sac fly, and again in the sixth as Sean McLain drew a bases-loaded two-out walk. It wasn’t quite an encore to Sunday’s 16 two-out runs, but on Tuesday night, it was enough.
“Offensively, we continue to leave too many guys on base,” Bloomquist said. “We gotta make some adjustments to get those freebie RBIs in when we get the chance. We’re doing a good job setting the table; we’re just not getting the knockout punch. We need to get better, we have a very talented lineup, but there are times when the situation just calls for execution.”
While the bullpen deserves much of the credit tonight, sophomore right-hander Tyler Meyer was magnificent as the starter. In his first start as a Sun Devil, he shoved. Meyer went five innings, struck out six Nevada hitters, and didn’t allow a run. In the first two innings, he wriggled out of trouble. In the final three, he dominated on cruise control.
The emergence of Meyer as an effective arm both as a starter and in long relief situations would be massive for this team. For him, it’s all about being a part of the unit.
“I had an idea I was going to pitch today, but I wasn’t sure if it would be a start or out of the bullpen,” Meyer said. “I’m just really grateful to be here and have this opportunity. It kind of hit me having a successful outing like that. Grateful to be here and contribute to this team in a positive way.”
The Nevada dugout was vocal all game, more so than the usual chippy underdog would be. Audible “Overrated” chants came from the Wolfpack could be heard as Ethan Long dug into the box late in the game, and the noise wasn’t about to be ignored by the sophomore slugger after he rocketed a single into left field. Long gestured toward the visiting dugout immediately and had some choice words/gestures for the group when he was standing on first base.
“I’m kind of the wrong guy to talk crap to because that really fuels my fire,” Long said. “I mean, I should have thanked them, but at the same time, I don’t take crap from anybody. I know there’s gonna be a lot of stuff thrown at me this year, they can say whatever they want, but it doesn’t really phase me it just fuels me.”
Last year’s team took on Long’s persona as its identity late in the season, and that’s when he was just a true freshman. This season, he’s a true tested leader, and that “don’t take crap from anybody” attitude coupled with some consistent pitching can take Arizona State to great heights.
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