TEMPE, Ariz. — Jeff Larish homered and drove in three runs, leading Arizona State's 19-hit attack, as the Sun Devils beat UNLV 16-1 Sunday to advance to the NCAA Division I super regional level.
Starter Ben Thurmond (7-0) worked five scoreless innings, allowing three hits and three walks, for the win. Arizona State outscored three opponents 45-3 in its regional.
Dennis Wyrick also had three RBIs, and Nick Walsh, Jeremy West and Travis Buck drove in two runs each for the Sun Devils (53-12),
UNLV got its run when Brent Johnson doubled off Ryan Schroyer — the last of the Rebels' seven hits — with one out in the ninth, advanced on a forceout and scored on a grounder by Ryan Ruiz.
The Rebels (47-17), who came in batting .404 in three previous games, were pitcher-poor after being forced to use Giovanni Pupo to beat New Mexico State on Saturday night. Pupo, who would have started against the Sun Devils, wore himself out in a 98-pitch effort after Matthew Luca developed elbow tendinitis.