Big Early Lead Holds Up As Washington Evens Series At Arizona State
PHOENIX – Washington jumped all over Arizona State Saturday night at Phoenix Municipal Stadium and hung on plenty, evening the series with the Sun Devils with a 14-9 win.
Starter Calvin Kirchoff earned his fourth win of the season, while Sam Boyle gave 4.0 innings of relief with two runs allowed, striking out three.
After AJ Guerrero got the Dawgs on the board with a solo shot to center in the 1st, Washington put together a barrage in the second to go up 6-0.
Cooper Whitton's single to center brought home Cam Clayton, with Whitton coming home along with Colin Blanchard on Aiva Arquette's bases-loaded single to left. Braeden Terry walked to refill the bags and Guerrero shot a single to center to move the runners station to station before Jeter Ybarra watched four balls with nowhere to put him, scratching across another Husky run.
Sam DeCarlo started a two-out rally in the third with a single to center, coming all the way around on Arquette's rocket to the gap in left-center. Terry drew another walk to put two on and Guerrero hammered another offering, tanking a three-run no doubt shot to left. By inning's end, it was 10-0 in favor of Washington.
The Huskies added two more in the fourth despite not registering a hit thanks to three walks, a fielder's choice and a wild pitch. A solo home run in the home half got the Sun Devils on the board but the Huskies answered right back with two more as Ybarra pulled a double to the left-center gap, bringing in Terry and Guerrero to make it 14-1.
Three Sun Devil runs in the fifth and sixth and another single run in the seventh tightened the gap to 14-7 but the Huskies were able to stem the bleeding before it got out of hand, evening the series at a game apiece.
Washington and Arizona State will square off in a rematch at 6:30 p.m. PT on Saturday. The game will be available on both Pac-12 Arizona and Pac-12 Washington.
DAWG BITES
• Washington's 14 runs were its most ever against Arizona State and tied for the most in a game this season
• AJ Guerrero's 1st inning home run was the 28th of his career, breaking into the top-10 on UW's all-time list.
• Guerrero's second homer of the night gave him solo possession of ninth all-time at UW
• It was the third two-home run game of Guerrero's career, second in 2024
• Guerrero tied his career high of five RBIs, set earlier this season at USC
• Sam Boyle completed at least four innings for the sixth time in 2024
• Cam Clayton had his hitting streak snapped at 14 games
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