5 straight over the Sun Devils!
Growing up in Arizona, getting a chance to play in a UA/ASU game probably ranks right up there with seeing a Gila monster and playing in the snow on any kid’s list of life goals.
Owen Kramkowski got to notch that off his personal bucket list Saturday night, a Sahuarita native starting for the Wildcats against the Sun Devils. And he picked a heck of a time for the best performance of his career.
The sophomore right-hander went 8.2 innings to lead Arizona to a 5-3 win at ASU at Phoenix Municipal Stadium, clinching the weekend series. It was the fifth straight win for the UA (22-8, 8-3 Big 12) over the Sun Devils (20-11, 7-4).
“It was my dream my whole life to do this,” said Kramkowski, who allowed three runs and nine hits with a walk and five strikeouts, improving to 4-3. “I was pissed I couldn’t get out of the ninth. Sucks not to get the last one.”
Kramkowski’s eighth career start was almost the exact opposite of his first, on Feb. 15 against Clemson in Arlington, Texas when he allowed seven runs on eight hits and didn’t get out of the first inning. But both saw Kramkowski pound the zone, with 76 of his 104 pitches Saturday going for strikes, and staying low led to 15 ground ball outs including a pair of double plays.
“He’s a tough kid, and he’s he’s put in the work for the last year, and he’s turned himself into the most consistent guy that we have,” pitching coach Kevin Vance said.
Vance, who makes all the pitching decisions for the UA, said it was a “no brainer” to have Kramkowski go out for the 9th. But after getting two of the first three batters he allowed three consecutive singles, each on bouncers that found a hole, which allowed ASU to score twice and bring the winning run to the plate.
“When there’s a lot of ground balls in the game, there’s a chance of some are going to get through, and they started to get through there in the ninth,” UA coach Chip Hale said. “Obviously they’re not going to just go ahead and just give us the win, they made us work for it.”
Tony Pluta came on with two on and two out and struck out Josiah Cromwick to pick up his fifth save.
Arizona jumped out to a 1-0 lead three pitches into the game when Garen Caulfield homered to left-center. A solo shot by Andrew Cain in the 5th made it 2-0.
Cain, a corner infielder by trade, started in left field and got a bad jump on the first ball that came his way but otherwise held his own in the new position.
“Just this weekend, really, I started getting a little some reps out there and playing out there,” he said. “I played a little bit in high school so it was good to have some experience.”
Arizona broke it open with three runs in the 6th, getting two on a triple by Mason White and another on an Adonys Guzman single. That would prove to be the difference after the Sun Devils scored once in the 7th and twice in the 9th.
The Wildcats can go for a sweep, which it hasn’t done at ASU since 2017, on Sunday. The 5 p.m. PT game, which is set to air on ESPN2, will have freshman righty (and Phoenix-area native) Smith Bailey on the mound. A victory would give the UA its first 6-game win streak over the Sun Devils since 1979.