LAS CRUCES, N.M. – It was a tale of two games for the No. 19/20 Arizona State University softball team on Monday against New Mexico State, struggling to take advantage of scoring chances in a 6-4 loss to open the doubleheader before unloading for a 12-1 rout in five innings to cap the day.
The Sun Devils (25-12, 5-3 Pac-12) ground into two bases loaded, inning-ending double plays in the first game and gave up four runs in the decisive fifth inning and managed just four runs despite 10 hits and six walks in the contest – stranding 11 in the game.
If Game One was Mr. Hyde, Game Two was definitely Dr. Jekyll as the Devils scored five runs in the first inning alone, including a Haley Steele grand slam – one of two home run knocks she had in the contest – and stranding just seven runners. ASU held the potent NMSU (31-12, 6-0 WAC) offense to just six hits and one run in the contest
The Devils will return to action tomorrow for another road doubleheader, this time taking on the Miners of UTEP in El Paso, Texas, beginning at 3 p.m. MT/2 p.m. PT.
Recaps from Monday’s action can be found below.
Arizona State 12, New Mexico State 1 (5)
After going 0-for-2 with the bases loaded in the first game of the doubleheader, hitting into two inning-ending double plays with the bases juiced, ASU made sure not to waste an opportunity in the second game.
The Devils loaded the bases with no outs to lead off the second game a following a Sierra Rodriguez hit, an Elizabeth Caporuscio reach on an infield error and a Chelsea Gonzales walk.
After an Amber Freeman pop out, Sashel Palacios drew an RBI bases-loaded walk to give the Devils a 1-0 lead and bring Haley Steele to the table.
Steele, who hit a walk-off grand slam against the Aggies in Tempe earlier this season, picked up her first hit of the day after going 0-for-3 in game one. And this hit just happened to go over the wall in left field.
It was Steele’s second grand slam of the season and the eighth for the Sun Devils on the year and gave ASU a commanding 5-0 lead.
The senior wasn’t done there, however, as she came to the plate in the second inning with a runner on base and took the first pitch she saw to dead center for a two-run jack just two batters after Amber Freeman knocked out her 11th of the season as the Devils took a commanding 9-0 lead after two innings.
The Aggies finally got on the board in the bottom of the third on a Kelsey Dodd solo shot to cut the ASU lead to eight. NMSU threatened to put some more on the board in the frame, loading the bases with one out before Malena Padilla grounded into the 6-4-3 double play – ASU’s second defensive double play of the game – to get out of the jam.
Jenna Makis entered in the fourth, pitching two perfect innings in relief to help seal the win for Macha and improving the freshman to 12-6 on the season.
The Devils added three more in the top of the fourth to pad the lead, getting two hits with the bases loaded to stretch the lead to 12-1 and giving Makis plenty of room to work with. Not that the junior needed the help, retiring six straight batters in just her third appearance this season and becoming the first Sun Devil pitcher to throw back-to-back 1-2-3 innings since Dale Ryndak in the first Washington game to open Pac-12 play.
New Mexico State 6, ASU 4
A four-run fifth inning by New Mexico State and ASU’s inability to capitalize with runners in scoring position would prove to be the difference at the Aggies downed the Devils, 6-4, in the first game of Monday’s doubleheader.
The Devils had 10 hits and six walks in the contest but could only manage four runs, hitting into two inning-ending double plays and stranding 11 batters on the game.
ASU was undone by the Aggie sibling duo of Rachel and Staci Rodriguez, who combined for three RBI in the decisive fifth inning where NMSU plated four runs and took a 6-3 lead that it would never relinquish.
With ASU leading 3-2 in the bottom of the fifth, Staci Rodriguez led off the inning with her second solo home of the day to even things at 3-3.
Kelsey Dodd, Lacey Rother and Malena Padilla would all reach to load the bases with no outs, chasing Dale Ryndak in favor of Breanna Macha. Macha got two big outs on a Corrin Green lineout and a Tatum Reedy strikeout but back-to-back singles by Fiana Finau and Rachel Rodriguez – the latter bringing across two runs – would prove to be the difference in the game.
ASU got one back on a Sierra Rodriguez RBI double in the top of the sixth but Sun Devils stranded the bases loaded for the second time in the game in the top half of the frame on an inning-ending double play.
Ryndak took the loss for ASU, dropping to 11-5 on the season while reliever Dallas McBride earned the victory for New Mexico State and improved to 9-5 on the season.
The Devils struck first in the top of the first as Rodriguez and Caporuscio led off the game with back-to-back singles and two batters later, Freeman brought home Rodriguez from second on a single over the head of the right fielder.
The Aggies responded in the bottom half of the inning on a Staci Rodriguez solo shot to left to square things at 1-1.
NMSU would take its first lead of the game in the bottom of the second as Staci’s sister, Rachel, knocked a two-out double to right field to plate Corrin Green and give the Aggies a 2-1 lead.
The Devils would come back in the top of the fourth, utilizing small ball and some savvy base running to plate two runners and regain a 3-2 lead.
Bethany Kemp drew a full count walk with one out and Nikki Girard bounced back from an 0-2 count to knock a chopper over the shortstop, advancing to second on the throw while Kemp moved to third.
Kemp would come home on a passed ball by Tatum Reedy and allowed Girard to third. The second baseman came home on a Abby Spiel groundout on the next batter to give ASU the short-lived 3-2 advantage before NMSU took over in the fifth.