Arizona State left Lincoln still breathing after an 11-8 win over host Nebraska in a dizzying elimination game that threatened to slip away in the late innings. The Sun Devils built a seemingly comfortable lead, then weathered a furious Nebraska rally before closer Derek Schaefer recorded the final two outs to seal the victory and keep ASU’s College World Series hopes alive.
An Arizona State Sun Devils hitter rounds the bases during ASU’s win over Nebraska, a victory that keeps the team’s trip to the College World Series on the line.
ASU piled up 11 runs and 13 hits, punctuated by four home runs, and appeared to have the game well in hand after six innings. Dominic Smaldino supplied a key blow in the bottom of the sixth — a grand slam that pushed the margin to 11-1 and marked the nation-leading 12th grand slam of the season for ASU as well as the program’s third of the tournament. Smaldino finished the game with two homers and six RBIs. Dominic Longo and Nu'u Contrades supplied the other two homers for the Sun Devils, and Contrades’ long ball was his fourth of the Lincoln Regional and 21st of the season.
The game, however, turned treacherous in the seventh inning. Reliever Josh Butler, who replaced starter Colby Guy, faced six batters and surrendered three hits and a walk while committing a throwing error that factored into a five-run outburst by the Cornhuskers. Butler was lifted with one out, and Taylor Penn came on to limit further damage in that frame. Nebraska added two more runs in the ninth off Penn, cutting the lead to 11-8 and bringing the tying run to the plate with one out. Schaefer, summoned to protect the finish, induced consecutive flyouts to end the threat and earn the save.
Colby Guy delivered a standout performance in his first start of the season, exiting after six innings having allowed one run on four hits with seven strikeouts and no walks. Guy improved to 2-0 in the outing, throwing 84 pitches while keeping Nebraska largely off balance. The Sun Devils benefited from Nebraska miscues as well: four Nebraska errors helped make four of ASU’s six runs unearned early in the contest.
Arizona State manufactured an early lead with a mixture of power and opportunism. Contrades put ASU on the board with a home run in the first inning, and the lineup continued to apply pressure. The third inning saw ASU send eight batters to the plate and produce a four-run surge that included a two-run shot by Dominic Longo, his seventh of the season, and a sacrifice fly by Smaldino. That sequence put ASU ahead 5-1 and set the tone for the middle innings.
The game also featured an ejection that altered ASU’s lineup. Landon Hairston, who entered the day having broken the school record for home runs in a season with 28, was tossed in the fourth inning after flipping his bat following a called third strike. Umpires conferred and announced the ejection; Hairston was escorted to the locker room by coach Willie Bloomquist and did not return. Kyler McGary took Hairston’s spot in the outfield. Broadcast announcers stated Hairston would be suspended for one game and would miss the regional final should ASU advance.
With the victory, Arizona State advances to a rematch with Ole Miss at 5 p.m. MST on Sunday, a game scheduled to stream live on ESPN+. If the Sun Devils defeat Ole Miss, the regional will require a decisive winner-take-all game on Monday under the double-elimination format. Top-seeded Nebraska’s late surge made the finish tense, but ASU’s starting pitching, four-homer attack and Schaefer’s closing outs combined to keep the Sun Devils’ season alive.
Arizona State teammates erupt in the dugout celebrating a key moment in the Sun Devils’ victory over Nebraska as they prepare to face Ole Miss for a CWS berth.