Published in The State Press on Wednesday, April 23, 2008After using 10 different pitchers during the weekend, ASU baseball coach Pat Murphy was asked if depth was a concern.Murphy, literally in mid-season form, brushed it off, saying he had no qualms about burning through his tired bullpen if his relievers weren't doing the job."There will be somebody out there to pitch," the coach said with a sigh.And senior lefty Josh Satow proved to be the one Tuesday. But the No. 4 Sun Devils (31-7, 7-6 Pac-10) couldn't overcome his poor start to top a college baseball power in No. 19 Cal State Fullerton, losing 10-9 in California. With Stanford idle and No. 15 California victorious, ASU now takes a backseat to both in the Pac-10 standings. The Sun Devils will host Cal this weekend.Satow, on just three days rest, didn't prove to be the right choice on the mound. He allowed six runs in the first two innings to immediately erase ASU's five-run lead gained in first inning.But it was junior Ike Davis (4-1), one of the few ASU relievers not struggling, who allowed CSF's winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning. Playing through a minor hamstring injury, Davis allowed true freshman Gary Brown to triple down the right-field line. With the game even at nine runs apiece, freshman Christian Colon hit a walk-off single to end the game.Colon also hit a game-winning home run Sunday in CSF's sweep of Pacific.For the Sun Devils, Tuesday's finish represented yet another contest in which their reemerging offense was outscored late in the game because of poor pitching.ASU crossed home plate five times in the opening frame, which was jumpstarted by a two-run double from Davis. Before moving from first base to the mound, Davis went 2-for-5 at the plate, actually dropping his batting average to .416.ASU true freshman Matt Newman also singled home a run.But Satow, still trying to find the groove he maintained so well in 2007, allowed seven earned runs in all.CSF (24-13) tied the game at five on a home run by Brown in the second frame.The Big West Conference school added three more runs in the sixth. After Satow walked the first batter, Murphy pulled him in favor of senior Dustin Brader.The right-hander hit a batter and allowed three runs on two hits. CSF junior Brian Wilson finished things off with a two-run triple.The Sun Devils re-tied the game at nine runs apiece in the eighth frame with RBI hits from junior Kiel Roling and redshirt sophomore Jason Kipnis.Davis moved from first base to the mound and stranded two CSF runners in the bottom of the eighth inning before surrendering the game-winning run in the ninth.ASU junior shortstop Marcel Champagnie sat out his second straight game after a rough defensive weekend, during which he made his three errors. Champagnie, batting .362 at the plate, is tied for the Pac-10 lead in errors with 14 in 36 games played.Source
Sunday, June 08, 2008
State Press: Pitching problems continue for ASU in series-opening loss to Cal State Fullerton
Published in The State Press on Wednesday, April 23, 2008After using 10 different pitchers during the weekend, ASU baseball coach Pat Murphy was asked if depth was a concern.Murphy, literally in mid-season form, brushed it off, saying he had no qualms about burning through his tired bullpen if his relievers weren't doing the job."There will be somebody out there to pitch," the coach said with a sigh.And senior lefty Josh Satow proved to be the one Tuesday. But the No. 4 Sun Devils (31-7, 7-6 Pac-10) couldn't overcome his poor start to top a college baseball power in No. 19 Cal State Fullerton, losing 10-9 in California. With Stanford idle and No. 15 California victorious, ASU now takes a backseat to both in the Pac-10 standings. The Sun Devils will host Cal this weekend.Satow, on just three days rest, didn't prove to be the right choice on the mound. He allowed six runs in the first two innings to immediately erase ASU's five-run lead gained in first inning.But it was junior Ike Davis (4-1), one of the few ASU relievers not struggling, who allowed CSF's winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning. Playing through a minor hamstring injury, Davis allowed true freshman Gary Brown to triple down the right-field line. With the game even at nine runs apiece, freshman Christian Colon hit a walk-off single to end the game.Colon also hit a game-winning home run Sunday in CSF's sweep of Pacific.For the Sun Devils, Tuesday's finish represented yet another contest in which their reemerging offense was outscored late in the game because of poor pitching.ASU crossed home plate five times in the opening frame, which was jumpstarted by a two-run double from Davis. Before moving from first base to the mound, Davis went 2-for-5 at the plate, actually dropping his batting average to .416.ASU true freshman Matt Newman also singled home a run.But Satow, still trying to find the groove he maintained so well in 2007, allowed seven earned runs in all.CSF (24-13) tied the game at five on a home run by Brown in the second frame.The Big West Conference school added three more runs in the sixth. After Satow walked the first batter, Murphy pulled him in favor of senior Dustin Brader.The right-hander hit a batter and allowed three runs on two hits. CSF junior Brian Wilson finished things off with a two-run triple.The Sun Devils re-tied the game at nine runs apiece in the eighth frame with RBI hits from junior Kiel Roling and redshirt sophomore Jason Kipnis.Davis moved from first base to the mound and stranded two CSF runners in the bottom of the eighth inning before surrendering the game-winning run in the ninth.ASU junior shortstop Marcel Champagnie sat out his second straight game after a rough defensive weekend, during which he made his three errors. Champagnie, batting .362 at the plate, is tied for the Pac-10 lead in errors with 14 in 36 games played.Source
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