By Michael Bower
On-line Forty-Niner

The Dirtbags (1-1) snapped the 9-game winning streak of Arizona State University (10-1) Friday night in front of 1,334 fans at Blair Field, but then fell victim to a complete game shutout by Sun Devils’ Jered Liebeck on Saturday.
 
In the series opener on Friday night, Mike Hofius went 3-for-5 with three RBIs and a double as the offense pounded out 14 hits to lead the 13th ranked Dirtbags to an 11-5 victory over the eighth ranked Sun Devils.
 
After falling behind 2-0 and squandering early scoring opportunities, the Dirtbags finally broke through for four runs in the fifth and sixth innings.
 
Hofius drove in the tying run in the bottom of the fifth inning with a two-out RBI single, and then broke the game wide-open with a bases loaded, two-out, two-run double in the sixth, which gave the Dirtbags a 6-2 lead.
 
“I had the opportunity my first at bat and I struck out,” Hofius said. “I wanted to redeem myself.”
 
Todd Jennings capped off the scoring in the sixth by singling home two more runs to make the score 8-2 and give the Dirtbags a commanding lead. Jennings finished the game 1-for-3 with two RBIs.
 
“I thought we stayed in and created some opportunities early,” Head Coach Mike Weathers said of the lost scoring opportunities. “You don’t get down because you know there is another time.”
 
The Dirtbags scored eight of their 11 runs with two-out hits. The top four hitters combined to go 9-for-16 and scored eight runs for the Dirtbags.
 
Abe Alvarez showed great command early, striking out four of his eight on the game in the first two innings. Alvarez lasted five and two-thirds innings giving up just two runs. Neil Jamison and Jeff Baumback pitched brilliantly out of the bullpen for the Dirtbags ending any hopes of a comeback by ASU.
 
Sun Devils’ starter Mark Sopko struggled early on the mound but was able to pitch his way out of trouble. Sopko gave up five hits and faced just 13 batters before he handed the game over to Beau Vaughan in the fourth inning.
 
Vaughan, and the rest of the Sun Devils’ bullpen, were slapped around by the Dirtbags, combining to give up all 11 runs in six innings of work. Vaughan took the loss for the Sun Devils as Alvarez got the win for the Dirtbags.
 
In game two on Saturday the Sun Devils’ Jered Liebeck baffled the offense of the Dirtbags and threw a complete game, three-hit, shutout as ASU cruised to a 3-0 victory in front of 976 fans at Blair Field.
 
Jered Weaver and the Dirtbags’ pitching staff kept them in the game but the offense couldn’t put together any rallies. Weaver gave up just one run in five and one-third innings while Scott Shoemaker threw two and two-thirds innings giving up just one run on two hits.
 
“My job is to keep us in the game, and I did that for the most part,” Weaver said. “You got to give credit to (ASU’s) pitcher. Our guys just couldn’t make the adjustments.”
 
The offense of the Dirtbags never did get on track in this one. Just one runner reached second base all game for the Dirtbags.
 
“We put the ball in play, just a lot of bad outs, and a lot of hard outs,” Weathers said. “They did a good job of keeping us off balance.”
 
ASU broke the scoreless tie in the fourth inning when Jeff Larish knocked in Dustin Pedroia who doubled to lead off the inning. ASU added one run in the seventh and ninth innings to put the game away.
 
The Dirtbags didn’t seem too bothered by the loss and said they will keep their heads up.
 
“That’s what part of being a Dirtbag is,” Hofius said. “Take a blow and give a blow is what we like to say.”
 
In the series finale on Sunday, Matt Paz got the nod for the Dirtbags and took on the Sun Devils’ Erik Averill.  

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