June 4, 2010

Box Score

TEMPE, Ariz. - Merrill Kelly threw eight strong innings to lead the No. 1 Arizona State University baseball team to a 6-2 win over UW-Milwaukee in their first game of the Tempe Regional on Friday. A sellout crowd of 4,371 saw the Sun Devils improve to 48-8 on the season and advance to a winner's bracket game with Hawai'i on Saturday.

Kelly settled down after a tough first inning, allowing only three hits and two runs (one earned) while matching his season high with eight strikeouts. He got the win to improve to 10-2, as he joins Seth Blair and Jake Borup to give ASU three double-digit game winners on the season. Mitchell Lambson pitched a perfect ninth, striking out two, to finish off the victory.

Kole Calhoun led the way at the plate, hitting his team-leading 14th home run of the season, a three-run shot in the third inning. Zack MacPhee had three hits and Riccio Torrez added two hits, while Deven Marrero drove in two runs.

The Panthers put a run on the board in the first inning, as two ASU errors led to an unearned run. The Sun Devils answered in the second, as Marrero hit a two-run double off the wall in center to drive in Zach Wilson and Johnny Ruettiger.

An inning later, Drew Maggi and MacPhee started the inning with back-to-back singles and then Calhoun blasted a home run to right to put the Sun Devils in front 5-1.

ASU added another run in the seventh when Riccio Torrez doubled down the left field line to bring in Calhoun. Milwaukee scored a run in the eighth, but Kelly got out of the inning and Lambson sent the Panthers down in order in the ninth to secure the win.

The Sun Devils will face Hawai'i, who defeated San Diego 4-3 in earlier action on Friday, on Saturday at 7 p.m. at Winkles Field-Packard Stadium at Brock Ballpark. San Diego will face UW-Milwaukee in an elimination game at 2 p.m.