20070329 Baseball Wins Challenge at Chase, 6-5

University of Arizona Athletics

<?xml:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" /><st1:City w:st="on">PHOENIX</st1:City> ? <st1:State w:st="on">Arizona</st1:State> survived a late <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:PlaceName w:st="on">Arizona</st1:PlaceName> <st1:PlaceType w:st="on">State</st1:PlaceType></st1:place> surge and hung on to win the second annual Challenge at Chase, 6-5, on Wednesday. The victory extended No. 25 UA’s winning streak to eight straight games and improved it to 7-0 in one-run games for the season and to 22-6 overall on the year. <?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p> </o:p> Hitless and down 1-0 after three and half innings, the Wildcats took advantage of an ASU error and their first two hits of the night for a 3-1 edge in the fourth. <o:p> </o:p> Colt Sedbrook led off the frame with a single up the middle and stole second. Bill Rhinehart followed with fielder’s choice grounder to short, but ASU’s Brett Wallace, playing third for the first time in his career, dropped the throw from Andrew Romine attempting to cut down Sedbrook at third. <o:p> </o:p> The fielding miscue proved costly, as T.J. Steele delivered a run-scoring ground out to tie the game at 1-1 and Jon Gaston a line drive shot off the right field wall for the two-run triple. <o:p> </o:p> Gaston and company added three more runs in the sixth with four straight hits, including a RBI single by the UA sophomore and a two-run base knock by freshman catcher Dwight Childs. <o:p> </o:p> The Devils made of game of it with four runs on three hit in the seventh off reliever Cory Burns, but closer Daniel Schlereth came on to toss a perfect final two innings for his eighth save of the year to cap off the victory. <o:p> </o:p> Freshman Jason Stoffel picked up his second win after holding ASU scoreless for 2 1/3 innings, while ASU starter Brian Flores was charged with his first loss of the year after allowing six runs ? only three earned ? on eight hits over 5 1/3 innings. <o:p> </o:p> After falling behind on Gaston’s triple in the fourth, ASU appeared ready to strike in the fifth when Stoffel loaded the bases with singles by Wallace and Petey Paramore sandwiched around a walk to Eric Sogard. However, the Wildcat right-hander worked his way out of the jam by striking out Ike Davis, Matt Spencer and Kiel Roling ? ASU’s No. 4-5-6 hitters in the order ? in succession to end the threat and the inning. <o:p> </o:p> Stoffel flirted with disaster again in the sixth, re-loading the bases on back-to-back singles and a walk, but Burns entered and retired Paramore on a grounder to second to strand three more Devils on base. <o:p> </o:p> The Sun Devils struck first in the game, scoring a run in the second on a Ryan Perry wild pitch. Ike Davis led off the frame with a ground rule double that hopped over the fence in left center. Matt Spencer followed with a single through the left side of the infield to advance <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Davis</st1:place></st1:City> to third. After Kiel Roling struck out, Perry missed with a pitch to Rocky Laguna that squirted all the way to the backstop to plate <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Davis</st1:place></st1:City> from third <o:p> </o:p> The Wildcats will return to action on Friday when they host No. 2 Oregon State to open the Pac-10 slate with a three-game series in <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Tucson</st1:place></st1:City>. First pitch for the series opener on Friday is slated for 7 p.m. <o:p> </o:p> Notes<o:p></o:p> Daniel Schlereth has successfully converted his last 11 straight save attempts dating back to last year ... Schlereth moved into second all-time on the UA saves list with his 15th career save ... Jon Gaston was named the Challenge at Chase MVP after finishing Wednesday’s game 2 for 3 with three RBI and a run scored.