Stanford holds on to beat Arizona State 8
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) — Malcolm Moore and Jimmy Nati each had three RBIs in an eight-run fourth inning and No. 8 seed Stanford ended a 10-game losing streak with an 8-7 victory over fifth-seeded Arizona State on Tuesday to begin the final Pac-12 Tournament.
Stanford (21-32), which had lost 11 of its last 12 and 26 of 38 overall, continues round-robin play on Wednesday against Oregon State. Stanford was swept in the final three regular-season series for the first time since 2015. The Cardinal will have to win the tournament to get in a fourth straight NCAA Tournament.
Arizona State (32-25), which had won six in a row and 15 of 18, goes against Oregon State on Thursday. The three pool winners will advance to Friday’s single-elimination semifinals along with one wild card team.
Moore opened the scoring in the fourth with a solo home run and he added a two-run shot later in the inning for an 8-0 lead. Nati cleared the bases with a drive that rolled to the wall.