The 11th-ranked Arizona State baseball team jumped out to a five-run lead in the third inning Friday night but lost 6-5 to UCLA on a walk-off home run in its Pac-12 conference opener.
Right-hander Brady Rodgers pitched eight innings, seven of them scoreless, and left after allowing four earned runs on 10 hits in a no-decision. He allowed just one runner through the first five innings before conceding five runs, including four earned, in the sixth inning.
The Sun Devils (11-6, 0-1) took an early 5-0 lead in the third inning behind a three-run home run by Trever Allen and a two-run triple by Deven Marrero. Marrero finished 2 for 4 with two RBIs and a run scored.
Drew Stankiewicz started the outburst with a walk and Andrew Aplin followed with a double to put a pair on base for Marrero, who hit a two-run triple to give the Devils the initial 2-0 lead in the third frame. Allen hit a three-run homer to left field two batters later, scoring Abe Ruiz from first, to put ASU on top 5-0.
UCLA (14-3, 1-0) fought back to tie it at 5-all before second baseman Kevin Williams hit a home run with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning to give the Bruins the 6-5 win.
Right-hander Jake Barrett (1-2) took the mound in the ninth inning, coercing the leadoff batter into a groundout and striking out the next batter before surrendering the game-winning homer.
UCLA right-hander Adam Plutko went 7 1/3 innings in a no-decision, giving up five earned runs, all in the third inning, on four hits while striking out three. Right-hander David Berg earned the win (1-0), going two-thirds of an innings and not allowing a run.
Four Bruins collected an RBI in the sixth inning to tie the score at 5-all. UCLA batted around in the frame and recorded six hits, including three consecutive singles, before Rodgers induced a flyout to center field and a groundout to end the inning.
