Ninth-inning implosion proves costly as ASU baseball loses to Oklahoma State

The regular season is winding down. The number of games remaining is now in the single digits for the Arizona State baseball team. It has been a while since Willie Bloomquist's team has played with this much on the line.

A possible regular-season Big 12 title, hosting rights for a regional. It all took a hit as the No. 16 Sun Devils lost to visiting Oklahoma State 9-6 on May 8 at Phoenix Municipal Stadium.

It was a particularly devastating loss because a six-run top of the ninth proved the difference. ASU (33-16, 16-9) had scored three in the bottom of the eighth, snapping a 3-3 tie, only to give it back, and more, moments later. It marked the eighth win in the past nine games for Oklahoma State (32-17, 15-10), which was coming in fresh off a three-game sweep of TCU.

"We just gave them too many outs there in the ninth inning that were unnecessary, and that bit us," Bloomquist said. "That was a game that, up until that ninth inning, there were a lot of good things. A lot of good competition on both sides.