March 17, 2011
TEMPE, Ariz. – The No. 5 Arizona State Softball team saw their 23 game winning streak come to a close as they split Day One of the Judi Garmen Classic with a 5-1 win over Penn State to start the day before falling in a gritty 1-0 loss to No. 6 Michigan in what proved to be the pitcher’s duel everyone expected. Mackenzie Popescue took the win over Penn State to move to 8-1 on the year while Dallas Escobedo took her first loss of her career to fall to 12-1 while ASU moves to 27-2 on the year.
To open up the day the Sun Devils dug in to take on the Nittany Lions where ASU started the game off with a bang as a double to left field was brought home in the next at-bat as Sam Parlich crushed her ninth home run of her career and eighth of the year to bring home two and take a 2-0 lead.
ASU capitalized on some PSU errors in the second inning to add two more to the score before Penn State snaked onto the scoreboard in the bottom of the inning with a solo shot from right fielder Alyssa Sovereign giving PSU their only run as ASU tacked on one more with Popescue closing out the game for her eighth collegiate win.
Game two gave fans the grudge match they were promised as it pitted the fifth-ranked Sun Devils versus the sixth-ranked Michigan Wolverines who came in with a 25-1 record on the year. The game slated Dallas Escobedo against Michigan ace hurler Jordan Taylor who entered with a 12-1 record on the year.
In gritty fashion, both hurlers kept the scoreboard at an even 0-0 through the majority of the game with Taylor throwing four perfect innings against the Sun Devils while the Wolverines chipped away at Dallas Escobedo who masterfully pitched out of two nail-biting third and fourth innings to keep A State in it.
It wasn’t to be though as a long ball would be the demise of the Sun Devil ace who gave one up in the bottom of the sixth inning as Ashley Lane took a 2-0 to left field to plate the only run of the game. The Sun Devils threatened in the top of the sixth with Krista Donnenwirth nearly matching the feat with a ball hit long to left center and just barely staying in the park to make it a double. Taylor composed herself to close out the game and collect her 13th win of the season while handing Escobedo her first career loss.
The Sun Devils return to the diamond tomorrow afternoon as they set to face the Pacific Tigers at 3:30 p.m. PT and No. 19 ULL at 7:30 p.m. in Fullerton at the Anderson Family Softball Complex