April 30, 2011
TEMPE, Ariz. – Five innings of shutout ball from Mackenzie Popescue and a clutch two-RBI hit from Krista Donnenwirth gave the No. 1 ASU Softball team all the edge it needed Saturday night as the Sun Devils collected their seventh consecutive Pac-10 win with a 3-0 victory over Oregon State. Popescue is now 12-2 on the year as ASU moves to 44-5 overall and 11-3 in conference action. Their counterpart, OSU drops to 18-21 overall and 1-13 in the Pac-10.
The story remained the same from the night before as the Sun Devil pitching came out dealing while the offense shrugged off a sluggish start where they pushed a run across in the first with a bases-loaded sac fly from Annie Lockwood. The bats remained cold after the first inning score though as OSU’s Tina Andreana kept the offense baffled with three scoreless innings after the first.
Popescue went toe-to-toe with Andreana, going 5 and 2/3 without a run on the board and only allowing two Beaver hits while striking out four. While the offense struggled they showed a spark of their potency in the fifth inning with a bunt single from Talor Haro followed up by a hit by pitch and walk to load the bases for the clean-up hitter, Krista Donnenwirth. She didn’t disappoint either as she singled down the left field line and brought in two to pull the score to 3-0.
Dallas Escobedo came in to collect the save and proved untouchable, striking out the side in the seventh to collect her four save of the season and propel ASU to their 44th win.
The Sun Devils will close out the series against OSU tomorrow as they look for their second consecutive sweep and eighth straight win. First pitch is set for noon in Tempe at Farrington Stadium.