Sun Devils clinch series vs. Oklahoma State

PHOENIX -- Junior Jordan Aboites registered two hits and two RBI at the plate and threw 2.2 scoreless innings in relief on the mound to lead No. 21 Arizona State to a 5-3 series-clinching win against No. 8 Oklahoma State on Saturday afternoon at Phoenix Municipal Stadium. 

Right fielder Jake Peevyhouse and designated hitter RJ Ybarra each collected a sacrifice fly for the Sun Devils (2-0), and third baseman Dalton DiNatale added a RBI single in the bottom of the third.

Right-hander Ryan Burr escaped a bases-loaded jam in the eighth and pitched a perfect ninth to secure his 25th career save, which ties Doug Nurnberg’s nearly 48-year-old record set in 1967. Nurnberg’s record is the longest standing individual career record in program history.

Starting left-hander Ryan Kellogg (1-0) scattered seven hits and three runs across five innings to earn his 20th career win, including his eighth against a ranked opponent. Kellogg was hit with a line drive in the top of the fifth inning, but finished the frame before Gillies replaced him to start the sixth.

Arizona State’s pitching staff combined to keep the Cowboys (0-2) off the scoreboard for the final five innings and escaped three consecutive scoring threats by OSU in the sixth, seventh and eighth innings.

Aboites ended the Cowboys’ threat in the top of the sixth as he took over for Gillies with no outs and runners on first and second. He struck out the first batter he faced and induced a pair of flyouts to strand both runners and keep ASU’s 5-3 lead intact.

Aboites induced an inning-ending double play in the seventh to work around a double and a fielding error, and he combined with Burr to end a base-loaded jam in the eighth. Burr took over with runners on first and second and two outs before a double steal and a walk loaded the bases. First baseman Chris Beall made a diving stop at first base to keep a grounder by Gage Green from leaving the infield and strand the runners.

The Devils took an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first behind Peevyhouse’s sacrifice fly to right-center field. OSU mishandled center fielder Johnny Sewald’s grounder to first to as he reached base for the fifth time in his first six plate appearances of the season, and he moved to third on a single from Aboites before scoring on the fly ball.

OSU countered with a pair of runs in the top of the second to briefly jump ahead 2-1, but the Devils scored three in the bottom of the frame to retake the lead 4-2. Catcher Brian Serven was hit by a pitch and Sewald singled before Aboites drove a triple down the right-field wall to clear the bases. Ybarra followed two batters later with the eventual game-winning sacrifice fly to right field.

Right fielder Trever Allen led off the third inning with a double and DiNatale promptly followed with a single to center field to bring home the Devils’ fifth run of the game.

OSU starting right-hander Jon Perrin (0-1), who was replaced with one out in the bottom of the second, gave up four runs, including three earned, on four hits and pair of walks in 1.1 frames.