TEMPE, Ariz. -- The ninth-ranked Arizona State baseball team, which had outscored Valparaiso by 25 runs in the first two games of the series, dropped the finale 8-6 on Sunday at Packard Stadium.
The Sun Devils (24-12-1) collected 13 hits in the game to increase their weekend total to 47 and scored three runs in the seventh before bringing the tying run to the plate in the bottom of the ninth inning.
Third baseman Michael Benjamin, who finished 3-for-5 at the plate with two RBI and a pair of runs scored, hit a two-run homer in the first inning to give ASU an early 2-0 lead.
Valparaiso (15-23) tied the score at 2-2 with a pair of runs in the top of the second and added five more in the following inning to jump out to a 7-2 advantage.
The ASU bullpen allowed just one earned run over the final six frames as right-handers Billy Young and Darin Gillies, and left-hander Matt Dunbar each threw two innings. Young gave up just one hit in the fourth and fifth, Gillies conceded one run on four hits and a wild pitch, and Dunbar allowed one total base runner in the eighth and ninth innings.
Designated hitter RJ Ybarra hit a solo home run to left field in the sixth inning to cut ASU's deficit to four, 7-3, but Valparaiso stretched it back to five after scoring on a wild pitch in the top of the seventh.
The Devils scored three runs in the seventh on an RBI single by catcher Max Rossiter, an RBI double by right fielder Trever Allen and a wild pitch to pull within 8-6.
In the ninth, left fielder Jake Peevyhouse hit a two-out single to right field to bring the tying run to the plate, but Allen flied out to left to end the threat.
Crusaders starting left-hander Dalton Lundeen (2-0) scattered 11 hits and six runs across 6 2/3 innings to earn his second win of the season. Karch Kowalczyk (4) registered the save by throwing a scoreless ninth inning.
Starting right-hander Alex Blackford (4-1) took his first loss of the season, surrendering six runs on six hits in 2 1/3 innings.
