Baseball takes 2 of 3 from Arizona State in Tempe

The Wildcats (32-17, 13-14 in the Pacific 10 Conference Southern Division) took advantage of three hit batsmen and an error by ASU center fielder Rudy Arguelles to score five runs in the top of the second inning off of Sun Devil starter Jeff Cermak.

UA junior first baseman Kenny Corley lead off the second when he was hit by a pitch. Designated hitter Tom King, following Corley, also took one for the team. Senior left fielder Jeff Gjerde followed with a single to center which bounced through the fielder's legs, allowing Corley and King to score and moving Gjerde to third. A sacrifice fly by Colin Porter scored Gjerde, and after sophomore catcher Greg Clark walked, junior second baseman Erik Mattern hit a two-run home run to center field, his fourth of the year.

With four hit batsmen in the game, Arizona set a new school record with 51 batters hit by a pitch this season.

Arizona added one run apiece in the fourth, seventh, and ninth innings to put the game away.

The No. 11 Sun Devils (31-19, 16-14 in the Six-Pac) mustered one more run after the first when third baseman Andrew Heinbrink scored on a sacrifice fly after leading off the inning with a triple.

The Wildcats received their third strong outing by a starting pitcher this series, with sophomore Rob Shabansky (8-5) going 8 1/3 innings in picking up the victory. After allowing two runs on three hits in the bottom of the first, Shabansky cruised the rest of the way, scattering six hits over the next seven innings. The left-hander finished with five strike-outs while walking three and hitting two batters.

UA sophomore reliever Ryan Moskau came in to get the final two outs of the ninth.

Eight UA starters had a hit, with King extending his hitting streak to seven games with an RBI single in the ninth, and Clark going 3 for 3 with two singles, a walk and two runs scored.

On Saturday, the Wildcats scored four runs in the top of the eighth to defeat the Sun Devils, 6-4 in front of a season-high 5,379 fans at Packard Stadium.

Gjerde's clutch single in the eighth scored two runs and put the Wildcats ahead as Arizona overcame three errors in the ballgame to even the series at one game apiece.

Moskau (4-3) pitched three innings of relief, picking up the win. He gave up just two hits while allowing no runs and no walks. He came on in relief of sophomore James Johnson, who went six innings, giving up four runs, three earned, off of five hits and four walks. He struck out seven.

On Friday, the Wildcats wasted a strong performance by sophomore Darrell Hussman as four Arizona errors led to a 7-5 loss.

Hussman (4-7) went the distance, giving up seven runs, only three earned, off of 11 hits and one walk.