ASU blows by competition in opening weekend

 by Andrew Pentis
 published on Monday, February 25, 2008

Kaitlin Ochenrider / THE STATE PRESS

SWEET SPOT: Sophomore Jason Kipnis puts the bat to the ball during ASU’s victory against Oregon State on Sunday afternoon at Packard Stadium.

After a "sluggish" offensive output Friday night in which the top-ranked ASU baseball team beat Miami (Ohio) University 6-0, coach Pat Murphy said change was in order. But when Murphy said he would place junior third baseman Brett Wallace in the leadoff position, a spot seldom used for power hitters, he was met with laughter.

"I'm not kidding," Murphy said. "Sometimes you have to do something like that to shake things up."

Wallace, the reigning Pac-10 Player of the Year, then hit three home runs in a span of four plate appearances to go along with nine RBIs, as ASU (3-0) topped Vanderbilt, 18-6, and defending national champion Oregon State, 11-0, to complete the DeMarini Invitational.

But all was not well with the Sun Devils, who committed six errors Saturday against No. 3 Vanderbilt.

"We didn't play one complete game," Murphy said. "We're a long way from [being] a good club."

Wallace and junior Ike Davis were at their new defensive posts, third base and first base respectively, when they combined for three of those miscues.

Murphy used football analogy to explain.

"We were in the prevent [defense]," he jested. "It sure didn't look like No. 1 versus No. 3. Pretty sloppy."

Sophomore starter Mike Leake escaped unscathed, nonetheless, forcing Vanderbilt to strand runners in scoring position each of the first four innings.

Leake said using his sinker was integral to getting inning-ending groundballs, but it was a pitch he rarely uses that allowed him to exit the fourth inning safely Saturday.

After he yielded a double to Vanderbilt outfielder Parker Hanks, Leake had a 2-2 count on catcher Shea Robin. Murphy yelled from the bench, loud enough for Robin to hear, asking Leake if he could throw his slider.

Sure enough, Leake threw the breaking pitch, and Robin whiffed.

"The kid looked over like, 'Are you guys crazy?'" Murphy said.

Leake went six innings, collecting four strikeouts and yielding just two runs, one earned but didn't have to face Vanderbilt's best hitter. Junior third baseman Pedro Alvarez was scratched just before the game with an arm injury.

ASU's Wallace and Davis redeemed themselves for prolonging Leake's stay on the mound, driving in 11 of the team's 18 total runs Saturday.

Wallace came to the plate in the bottom of the fourth inning and hit the second pitch he saw over the right field fence, directly in front of Barry Bonds' nameplate. In the bottom of the sixth, Wallace hit a three-run homer, giving him seven RBIs for the game. It was his third career multi-homer game. The previous two came in his banner 2007 season.

Murphy called his offense Friday "sluggish," as ASU opened its season under the lights with six runs.

Wallace and Davis went a combined 1-for-9 at the plate against Miami's senior starter Chris Niro.

"They're trying to play the game and be a [MLB] prospect at the same time," Murphy said. "That is tough."

ASU sophomore outfielder Jason Kipnis said he was fighting off "butterflies" when he hit a towering home run in the seventh inning, his first of two for the weekend.

"I was looking fastball and kind of just ran into it," the transfer from Kentucky said.

Senior starter Josh Satow threw 90 pitches Friday, giving just two hits in 5 2/3 innings. He partnered with three other pitchers for the shutout.

Seth Blair, a true freshman, made his collegiate debut Sunday against No. 7 Oregon State. He struck out the first batter he faced in three pitches and then breezed through the OSU lineup with 55 pitches through four scoreless innings.

The second pitch out of OSU freshman Greg Peavey's hand was promptly slapped over the fence in left field for Wallace's third homerun of the weekend. ASU would score seven first-inning runs in all, knocking Peavey out after just 1/3 inning.

Contrary to what Murphy said a week ago, sophomore Jason Jarvis pinch-hit Saturday and Sunday as well as pitching the weekend's final inning after he was cleared to play. His long-term eligibility remains uncertain.

"Our people have worked to support him," Murphy said. "He still has some hurdles to jump."

Reach the reporter at apentis@asu.edu.

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