The Arizona State baseball team did just enough to get the victory Friday night in front of 2,996 fans at Packard Stadium. In a game where Joey DeMichele, Abe Ruiz and Deven Marrero went a combined 0-12, the bottom of the ASU lineup stepped up.
Catcher Max Rossiter went 3-4 including a two-run homerun in the second inning that tied the game at two.
"I think it settled us," said ASU head coach Tim Esmay about Rossiter's homerun. "It settled Brady (Rodgers) it settled all of us, that was a big home run for us."
Michael Benjamin went 3-3 with a two-run home run of his own. Benjamin's long ball in the sixth put ASU ahead for good. ASU's 6-8 hitters went a combined 7-10 with five RBI's and four runs scored.
"It was those guys down the lower of the order that had those big at bats and got those big hits," said Esmay. "And when we are doing that, it dictates that it is a nine man batting order and we need everybody to have good at-bats."
Right-hander Brady Rodgers (8-2) finished with another impressive stat line, as the junior gave up three earned runs on five hits over eight innings. All of the damage from Utah was done in the first three innings.
Trey Nielsen and Ethan Leiter both had RBI singles for the Utes in the top of the second inning, and in the third, Shaun Cooper broke a 2-2 tie with a one-out RBI single.
"Through the first three (innings), I was kinda just coasting," said Rodgers. "Honestly I got pissed, so I just started being myself again, pitching with a chip on my shoulder and getting a little fire in me."
The victory improves ASU to 27-17 and 12-10 in the Pac-12. ASU and Utah will resume their weekend set Saturday evening, with the first pitch scheduled for 6:30 p.m.