No. 6 ASU baseball got a taste of its own medicine on Saturday night.
In the bottom of the ninth with two outs and runners on second and third, junior closer Ryan Burr gave up a walk-off single to left field to Cal sophomore Aaron Knapp.
However, Burr inherited a one-out, runners on first and second jam before inducing a groundout which allowed the runners to advance.
Junior Ryan Kellogg, easily the most consistent starter in ASU's rotation this year, had another decent outing, giving up four runs in 7.2 innings pitched while striking out four.
The Golden Bears (28-15 14-9 Pac-12) scored first when freshman catcher Brett Cumberland blasted a solo shot off Kellogg in the bottom of the second inning.
In the top of the third, ASU (29-14, 14-6 Pac-12) took control with a three-run inning. The top of the order did the damage when Johnny Sewald hit an RBI double down the right field line before Jake Peevyhouse followed it up with a single to right.
However, Cal answered in the bottom half when junior Devin Pearson hit an RBI triple to bring the Golden Bears within one. Then, an RBI groundout tied the game at three apiece.
In the next inning, Pearson continued the Cal surge, and his performance, with a solo home run to give the Golden Bears the lead.
ASU tied the game in the bottom of the seventh when Ryan Lillard scored on a wild pitch.
Senior Darin Gillies relieved Kellogg in the bottom of the eighth and stranded the go-ahead run.
Burr replaced Gillies with runners on first and second and an out in a tie game in the bottom of the ninth, though, before giving up the walk-off single.
ASU will go for its ninth consecutive series win and 10th overall in 11 tries this season in Sunday's rubber match at 1 p.m. Junior Brett Lilek will be on the mound for the Sun Devils.
Reach the reporter at Justin.Toscano@asu.edu or follow @justintoscano3 on Twitter.
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