By Robbie Neiswanger
Arkansas News Bureau • rneiswanger@arkansasnews.com
TEMPE, Ariz. — Arkansas said it didn’t feel like the underdog as it headed into a super regional showdown with Arizona State, the nation’s top-ranked team.
The Razorbacks proved they’re on the same level with the Sun Devils on Saturday night.
It did nothing but result in a heart-breaking loss in the super regional’s opener, though.
Arizona State rallied from a one-run deficit to tie the game in the ninth inning, then scored the game-winner in the 12th to hand Arkansas a frustrating 7-6 loss in the first game of the best-of-three series.
Deven Marrero slapped a single off Arkansas’ Brett Eibner to score Kole Calhoun from third base to wrap up the win and ignite the celebration in Tempe.
“It’s obviously one of the best college baseball games I’ve been involved in,” Arizona State coach Tim Esmay said. “It was an incredible game. Both sides. Just attack, attack, attack. Great plays. Big plays. The whole nine yards. That was incredible.”
The dramatic night moved the Sun Devils (51-8) one win away from clinching a trip to the College World Series for the second straight year. It also pushed Arkansas (43-20) to the brink of elimination.
Arkansas must beat Arizona State tonight at 9 to force a deciding game Monday.
Left-hander Drew Smyly (9-1, 2.56 earned run average), the Razorbacks’ ace, will be on the mound tonight. Arizona State will hand the ball to right-hander Merrill Kelly (10-2, 3.52).
“It’s a three-game series, not one,” Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn said. “Obviously we’ve got to win and they’ve got to two shots at it. We can’t mess up again. We’ve got to win (tonight) to get to Monday.”
ASU picked up the win by using a late push to get past an Arkansas team that couldn’t close the game.
It started in the ninth, when center fielder Andrew Aplin led off the deciding inning by singling off Arkansas closer Jeremy Pratt. Aplin eventually moved over to third for Zack MacPhee, who hit a soft infield tapper with two outs that proved tough to field.
Pratt picked up the ball and fired to first base, but it wasn’t in time and went over first baseman Monk Kreder’s head. Aplin scored to tie the game.
“It’s the luck of the game,” Van Horn said. “He did a good job putting the bat on the ball and making us have to field it. It’s just the way it works.
“Sometimes you hit it at them, sometimes you don’t.”
Eibner came out of center field to replace Pratt on the mound and helped the Razorbacks get out of the ninth with a close play at second. Then he got through the 10th and 11th innings. But it wasn’t enough.
Arizona State’s game-winning inning started when Eibner walked Calhoun. He compounded the problem by hitting the next batter, Riccio Torrez. Johnny Reuttiger’s fielder’s choice moved Calhoun to third base to set up Marrero’s game-winning single.
Van Horn said it wasn’t just the late run that cost Arkansas the game. Arizona State reliever Mitchell Lambson also was flawless in a five-inning relief stint, holding the Hogs to one hit after the seventh.
“Probably the key to the game was their lefty came in and did a tremendous job holding us,” Van Horn said.
Said Esmay: “It was a big boost for us.”
The effort and late rally spoiled a promising night for the Razorbacks, who suffered their first loss in a super regional under Van Horn.
Arkansas had success against Arizona State ace Seth Blair, the Pac-10 Pitcher of the Year.
The scoring started in the fourth inning when RBIs by Bo Bigham, Matt Vinson and Tim Carver tied the game at 3-3. After Arkansas fell behind 4-3 after the bottom half of the inning, it got even more in the fifth when Zack Cox and Eibner led off with doubles to tie the game at 4-4. Bigham followed with a single up the middle with one out to score Eibner and make it 5-4.
“We were just trying to get (Blair) out of the game and get to the bullpen,” Arkansas outfielder Collin Kuhn said. “We were able to do that.
“We just couldn’t do it later on in the game.”
The Razorbacks collected nine hits and five runs off Blair, who left after the fifth. The nine hits tied for the most the ASU ace has allowed.
“That’s a pretty good offense over there,” Esmay said. “That Arkansas team, you can tell, they’ve been in this situation before. They had some really good AB’s and kind of took what he was giving them.”
The run support was needed to stay in the game after Arkansas pitcher Mike Bolsinger struggled in his second straight postseason start.
His second inning error on what would’ve been a double play ball led to the first run. He walked three batters in the third inning, too, which helped ASU score two more to take the 3-0 lead. Bolsinger’s night ended after allowing three runs in three innings.
He walked five total. The Hogs walked 13 in the game.
“We haven’t walked that many people all year,” Van Horn said. “And it’s kind of unusual.”
That wasn’t the only unusual statistic or unbelievable moment from the back-and-forth game.
Arizona State stranded 19 runners. Two Arkansas base runners were thrown out in the third inning by catcher Austin Barnes. Kuhn threw out a runner at home plate , too, to end the seventh inning and preserve a lead.
And twice Eibner was called for batter’s interference for stepping in front of the catcher with a runner trying to steal second. Both ended scoring threats.
“It was kind of a strange game, a lot of strange things happening,” Van Horn said. “Two interference calls on strike threes. I don’t know, probably a few things I can’t comment on. But both teams were really giving it all. I hated that we didn’t find a way to win. But we battled. There’s another game (Sunday).
“(Sunday) is a new day.”
