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Sun Devils’ sweep locks up tie for Pac-10 title
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Arizona State put the finishing touches on a series sweep Sunday with an 8-1 victory over Oregon State at Corvallis, Ore.
The win clinches at least a tie for the Pac-10 championship, the first conference title for ASU (41-12, 17-4) since 2000.
Brian Flores threw his best game as a Sun Devil, allowing only one hit while striking out eight to improve to 9-1 on the year. The Beavers totaled nine hits in the three-game series.
The Beavers got the scoring started in the second. With runners at the corners they executed a perfect double steal to grab their first lead of the series at 1-0. The Devils evened things in the top of the third when Andrew Romine stole second and third. Romine scored when Joe Persichina struck out, Beavers’ catcher Erik Ammon dropped the ball, then threw it into right field attempting to throw Persichina out.
The Devils scored two more in the fourth, thanks to a sacrifice bunt by Matt Spencer and a two-run single by Petey Paramore.
Brett Wallace brought two more home in the fifth, cranking a ball deep to right field for a 5-1 Sun Devil lead. It was Wallace’s 15th homer of the year. After an error and two walks loaded the bases, Eric Sogard scored from third on a wild pitch. After Rocky Laguna drew a walk to reload the bases, Andrew Romine slapped a ball into left field to score two more.
That would be more than enough for Flores, who retired the last 14 batters he faced. He fanned the final four batters of the game to secure the win and the share of the Pac-10 title.
The sweep of the defending national champions is ASU’s first road sweep of a Pac-10 team since 2003. It is also the first time Oregon State has been swept at home since 2003.
Wallace and Romine each had two hits and two RBIs in the win. Paramore also had two RBIs.
The Sun Devils return home for a three-game series with Arizona.
The series gets underway Wednesday night at 7 p.m. at Packard Stadium. The Sun Devils need to win one game against Arizona to clinch the Pac-10 conference championship.
Arizona swept Washington in Tucson this past weekend.
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