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Published Apr 10, 2021
Story: ASU Outlasts Washington in 16 Innings, 3-2
ASU Media Relations
ASU Media Relations

SEATTLE – It took just over five hours and the fourth-longest game in Sun Devil Baseball history by innings played but, in the end, it was Arizona State that outlasted Washington in a 3-2 pitcher's duel that spanned 16 innings to claim the Pac-12 series opening on Friday night in Seattle.

The Sun Devils (17-8, 6-4 Pac-12) battled off threat after threat in extra innings, clinging to a 2-2 behind exceptional pitching and savvy defensive moxie and simply outwilling the Huskies (10-15, 2-8 Pac-12), who booted the ball around in the top of the 16th inning to allow ASU to score the go-ahead run.

Jared Glenn had yet another dominant road outing in relief in the Pacific Northwest as the freshman gave ASU 5.0 scoreless frames – all in extra innings – escaping jam after jam and earning his third win of the season in the process.

The Sun Devil pitching staff threw up 15 zeroes on the scoreboard in the contest, with Washington's only two runs coming in the seventh inning. Glenn, Will Levine and Christian Bodlovich did all the work in extra innings, combining for 10 strikeouts over seven innings. Washington had the game-winning run in scoring position in four of the seven extra innings, but Glenn made the pitches and the defense behind him did the rest to keep things even.

Kai Murphy gunned down the game-winning runner at the plate from right field on a shallow single in the 13th and Hunter Haas turned a heroic double play in the 14th to truly saved the game.

UW constructed the decisive inning for ASU, issuing a one-out error to Jack Moss, who moved to second on a sac bunt with two outs. Sam Ferri grounded into what should have been the inning-ending play at third but the third baseball couldn't get a good handle on it and threw it away at first, the ball sailing to the wall in foul territory and allowing Moss to come home from second for the go-ahead run.

Christian Bodlovich did the rest, retiring the first two batters via strikeout on six pitches in the bottom half of the inning before getting the game-ending groundout to seal the victory for ASU and earn his second save of the year.

PLAY OF THE GAME

While there were numerous candidates for the biggest play, the highlight of the game came in the 14th inning. A leadoff double and an error put runners on the corners with no outs. ASU brought in a fifth infielder in Joe Lampe from the outfield to take away the bunt play. Glenn got a huge strikeout to shift the defense back to somewhat normalcy and ASU intentionally walked the bases loaded to keep all forces in play.

It proved to be a pivotal coaching move that was made possible by the heroic effort of Hunter Haas at third. With the bases loaded and one out, Nick Kresnak grounded a ball down the left field infield line that Haas backhanded on the run and tip-tapped his toe on third for the force. With all his momentum going into foul territory, Haas heaved a throw across his body and across the diamond that was picked by Jack Moss at first for a heroic inning-ending double play to wipe off the run coming home from third and extend the game to the 15th.

TURNING POINT

UW constructed the decisive inning for ASU, issuing a one-out error to Jack Moss, who moved to second on a sac bunt with two outs. Sam Ferri grounded into what should have been the inning-ending play at third but the third baseman couldn't get a good handle on it and threw it away at first, the ball sailing to the wall in foul territory and allowing Moss to come home from second for the go-ahead run.

WIN SHIRT

Jared Glenn was exceptional in long relief for the Sun Devils, going 5.0 scoreless innings in extras to earn the win. Glenn struck out five and scattered six hits but continued to make the big pitches when he needed them to escape jam after jam. Glenn relief on his defense, issuing seven groundouts to just one flyout in the process. Glenn stranded seven total runners in his five innings of relief.

LOST IN THE KERFUFFLE

The pitching duel all started with terrific start from Tyler Thornton. Thornton threw 6.0 scoreless innings for his first quality start of the year, striking out six and holding the Huskies to just three hits.

NOTABLES

Jared Glenn is making a name for himself in relief in the Pacific Northwest. Three weekends ago, Glenn posted 7.1 innings of scoreless relief in a win at #16 Oregon, giving him 12.1 scoreless frames and two victories in games played in the PNW after tonight.

ASU has held opponents to five runs or fewer in 35 of 42 games with Jason Kellyat the helm of the pitchers.

For the second time this season, ASU stranded at least 15 runners on the basepath with 16 on the day.

ASU has stranded 89 runners in 10 Pac-12 games this season, leaving nearly nine baserunners on per game.

In Pac-12 games, opponents are batting just .212 (22-of-104) with runners in scoring position and a paltry .162 (17-of-105) with two outs.

The Sun Devil staff struck out 20 batters on Friday, tied for the fourth-most in a game in program history.

ASU's 20 strikeouts were also tied for a program record, though obviously the number is skewed by the total innings played.

Will Levineretired all six batters he faced in the 9th and 10th inning.

ASU is now 10-2 in games that Tyler Thorntonstarts, dating back to last season.The 16-inning game is the fourth-longest by innings pitched in Sun Devil history and the longest since a 17-inning losing affair against UCLA in 2015.

It was ASU's first extra-inning game of the season.

Sean McLain extended his hitting streak to 23 games with a two-out single in the fifth inning. With the hit, he tied Andre Ethier's 2003 23-game hitting streak for the third-longest at ASU since 1998.

LONGEST HITTING STREAKS SINCE 1998

26 – Riccio Torrez (2010

)24 – Jeremy West (2003)

23 – Andre Ethier (2003)

23 – Sean McLain (2021)

21 – Spencer Torkelson (2019)

21 – Ike Davis (2008)

21 – Colin Curtis (2006)

21 – Brooks Conrad (2000)

Sean McLain's two hits in the game give him a team-best 14 multi-hit games this season, four more than Drew Swift in second (who also had a multi-hit game tonight).

ON DECK

The Sun Devils will look to lock up the series win tomorrow at 5 p.m. AZT. The game will be available via Washington's Pac-12 Network Live Stream.

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