The Arizona State Sun Devils refused to be swept on their home turf, coming from behind to defeat the Arizona Wildcats 8-4 on Sunday at Phoenix Municipal Stadium. With the win, ASU improves to 21-11 overall and 8-4 in Big 12 play. The Wildcats fall to 22-9, also 8-4 in conference action.

Pitcher’s Duel Early
Jaden Alba took the mound for Arizona State and faced adversity early — including a scorching 109 mph come-backer off his ribs — but held the Wildcats scoreless through the first three innings. Alba fanned six batters before exiting in the fourth after a tough stretch.

Arizona’s Smith Bailey matched Alba pitch-for-pitch early, retiring the Sun Devils through three scoreless frames, helped by double plays and timely defense.

Arizona Explodes in the Fourth
In the top of the fourth, Arizona broke the deadlock. A leadoff double from Adonys Guzman set the tone. Maddox Mihalakis drove in the first run, and Tommy Splaine followed with a double. Then, Andrew Cain launched a three-run homer to right, giving Arizona a commanding 4-0 lead with no outs.

Sun Devils Respond Swiftly
The Wildcats' momentum was short-lived. In the bottom of the fifth, Brandon Compton doubled and Matt King followed with his first homer of the season — a two-run blast that made it 4-2.

Six-Run Sixth Inning Swings Momentum
ASU’s offense erupted in the sixth. With the bases loaded and one out, Matt King was hit by a pitch, making it 4-3. Isaiah Jackson then came through with a two-run single, giving the Sun Devils a 5-4 lead. Brody Briggs added an RBI double after a fielding error, pushing the lead to 6-4.

Carlon Dominates in Relief
Cole Carlon entered in the fourth inning and delivered an electric performance, striking out 10 batters in 4.1 shutout innings. He earned the win, improving to 2-0 on the year, and walked off the mound to a standing ovation.

Adding Insurance in the Eighth
ASU tacked on two more runs in the eighth thanks to an RBI single from Kien Vu and a misplay on a bunt from Brody Briggs, extending the lead to 8-4.

Sealing the Win
Lucas Kelly took over in the ninth and allowed two singles but struck out Garen Caulfield to lock in the Sun Devils' victory. The loss went to Julian Tonghini (3-1), who was unable to escape the ASU rally in the sixth.

This was a defining win for Arizona State, not just to avoid a sweep, but to showcase their resilience and depth. With strong contributions from Matt King, Isaiah Jackson, and a dominant relief outing from Cole Carlon, the Sun Devils are building momentum heading into the heart of Big 12 play. Up next: a one-game home stand against Cal State Northridge before heading on the road to face Cincinnati.