Behind a 5-for-5 performance from third baseman Joey DeMichele, No. 6-ranked Arizona State steamrolled past the Long Beach State baseball team for the second consecutive night, 9-2, Saturday at Packard Stadium in Tempe, Ariz.
DeMichele finished with three RBIs on five hits to add to his two-day total of six RBIs and seven hits in nine at-bats.
Second baseman Matt Duffy paced the Dirtbags as he went for 3-for-4 with two RBIs.
LBSU’s starting pitcher Brandon Pinder (3-5) was charged with the loss as surrendered four runs — three earned — on five hits.
Meanwhile, ASU’s starter Kramer Champlin (7-2) earned the win after giving up two runs on eight hits, while striking out seven in eight innings pitched.
After LBSU (23-21) went down in order in the first inning, ASU (34-11) broke the scoreless game open with two runs in the first inning. With no outs and runners on second and third, ASU’s designated hitter Matt Barnes grounded out to Duffy to bring in the first runner home.
From there, DeMichele registered his first of three RBIs with a single to center field.
The Sun Devils added two more runs in the third inning on back-to-back doubles by Barnes and DeMichele.
With Pinder out of the game after just three innings of work, the Sun Devils tallied three runs in the fourth inning and two more in the fifth to take a commanding 9-0 lead.
The Dirtbags finally got on the board in the eighth inning. With one out, LBSU outfielder Jeff McNeil started a rally with a single, and infielder Michael Hill followed with another to put two runners aboard.
A walk to first baseman Ino Patron with two outs loaded the bases before two runs came home to score on a two-run single up the middle by Duffy.
However, LBSU’s late rally was stifled following a strikeout to left fielder Matt Hibbert.
The Dirtbags close out the series with ASU on Sunday at Packard Stadium. First pitch is scheduled for 12:30 p.m.
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