Arizona State fought back from a three-run hole Monday night, tying the game in the eighth inning after Nuu Contrades launched a two-run home run, and the teams headed to extra innings after both sides were scoreless the rest of the way.
Arizona had taken control early with a burst of power. Andrew Cain opened the scoring with a solo home run in the top of the second inning, Beau Sylvester followed two batters later with a towering shot to left field, and Nate Novitske added Arizona's third solo homer in the third to make it 3-0.
That lead held until Arizona State finally broke through on a Dean Toigo sacrifice fly that scored Landon Hairston. The Sun Devils then had chances in the sixth and seventh innings, but Arizona kept the 3-1 margin through both frames. Arizona State loaded the bases in the seventh and still came away empty, a missed chance that loomed once the game tightened late.
The eighth inning changed everything. Toigo was hit by a pitch to lead off the frame, and Contrades followed with the two-run homer that erased Arizona's lead and tied the game. Arizona had used a bullpen game, with Patrick Morris starting and working three innings while allowing three hits, one earned run, one walk and one strikeout. Corey Kling then covered three hitless innings, striking out three and walking two, before the late Arizona State push forced the game beyond nine innings.
For asu baseball, the sequence was a reminder that early power does not always finish the job. Arizona built the cushion, Arizona State kept coming, and the game settled into extra innings with the outcome still hanging in the balance.
