Wildcats add to ASU’s big-league fatigue

Competing at Chase Field on Sunday gave the Arizona and Arizona State baseball teams the chance to feel like major leaguers — right down to the druthers of having to play right after a two-week, four-city road trip.

And the Sun Devils, who arrived in the Valley earlier in the day after a cold, snowy late Saturday night in Pullman, Wash., met an archrival that was all too happy to add to their fatigue.

Arizona, which had an even more arduous trip to Chase Field, built a big lead early, fell behind and rallied late to claim the inaugural Challenge at Chase, 12-8, in front of an announced crowd of 5,201.

“I feel like I haven’t slept for the whole weekend,” said Wildcats freshman David Plante, whose eighth-inning grand slam provided the winning runs on a day that started in Berkeley, Calif., where Arizona played one inning to complete a darkness-suspended game against California.

“I think we played off of adrenaline because we were so (tired).”

Arizona (13-14) played an inning in the morning, with Cal getting a quick 5-4 victory on a walk-off homer. After a delayed flight to Phoenix, the Wildcats got to the park about an hour before the first pitch.

A more accommodating date for the charity contest — proceeds went to the Diamondbacks Foundation’s field-building program — will be sought next season.

“That was not a Sunday in the Pac-10, that was a Monday in the Pac-10,” ASU coach Pat Murphy said. “We can’t play the day after a league series. You’re just drained, so you’re not going to get the best out of both teams. We should try to get a day off (beforehand) at least. . . .

“But we got 5,000 people here, and that was kind of cool. Next year, we’ll try and double that.”

Playing its fourth game in three days, ASU (23-9) — ranked 14th by Baseball America — spotted the Wildcats a 6-0 lead but scored the game’s next eight runs. But in the eighth inning, three hit batsmen and Plante’s big blow gave Arizona the lead for good.

Relievers Brady Martinez and Ike Davis combined to hit two men and allow a single to load the bases with one out. That brought in Sun Devils closer Zechry Zinicola, and left fielder Bill Rhinehart made the score 8-7 with a sacrifice fly.

Zinicola, who tossed 41 pitches in three innings at Washington State on Saturday, hit the next batter — the Sun Devils plunked five Wildcats on the night — to bring up Plante, Arizona’s designated hitter who belted a pitch over the right-center field fence for his first collegiate homer.

“Having that kind of hit against your rival in that situation in a big-league ballpark, you can’t beat it, really,” Plante said.

“The fact that it was a grand slam is like the cherry on top.”

Although his team lost, Sun Devils shortstop Andrew Romine continued a

triumphant return months after having complicated rib removal surgery to prevent future blood clotting.

The sophomore went 3-for-5 with a triple and four RBIs. In four games, he is batting .583 (7-for-12).

“I honestly wasn’t looking for any results,” Romine said. “I was just trying to help out the team. But it came out a little better than I thought it would. I didn’t try to do too much. . . .

“My arm feels better than it did after the end of last season. My back is a little sore because of all the swinging I’ve done to get ready, but other than that, I feel good.”