Feb. 15, 2013
TEMPE, Ariz. - A come from behind win was needed for third-ranked Arizona State softball in its tournament opener against Northern Iowa on Friday. The Sun Devils prevailed, 5-3, after a pair of runs in the seventh. Against Michigan State, ASU saw itself tied with the opponent yet again, only to come out victorious 9-2.
The Sun Devils are now 9-0 on the year and Dallas Escobedo improves to 6-0 after picking up a win in relief against Northern Iowa and cutting down the Spartans, 9-2. Between the two games, the ASU pitching staff logged 20 strikeouts on the day.
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*A reminder to fans that games are subject to run late, start times are subject to change.
GAME ONE: No. 3 ASU 5, Northern Iowa 3
A barn burner ensued after Northern Iowa did what no team has done to the Sun Devils this year, kept them off the board through five innings. ASU has scored as early as the first (against Boise State) and previously the longest it took to score was the third against Bradley.
The Panthers broke up Mackenzie Popescue's shutout in the fifth inning with a lone run coming in via a single to right, the first run of the game, 1-0.
A slug fest ensued in the sixth with Arizona State scoring three runs on three hits to go up 3-1. UNI closed the gap in the bottom of the frame, 3-2, on a homer to right which prompted ASU to bring in Dallas Escobedo in relief. With back-to-back home runs, Northern Iowa tied it 3-3 still with three outs to spare. Escobedo shut down the threat by retiring the next three batters, swinging.
Popescue left the game after five innings and four strikeouts. Escobedo garners the win, her fourth, after ASU went ahead in the top of the seventh when Mary Spiel scored on a RBI single by Cheyenne Coyle and Amber Freeman then plated Coyle, 5-3. Escobedo effectively struck out the last six batters ASU faced in the come-from-behind win.
Coyle had a team best appearance at the plate, going 2-for-4 with two runs scored and one RBI.
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— ASU Softball (@ASUSoftball) February 16, 2013
GAME TWO: No. 3 ASU 9, Michigan State 2
ASU wasted no time in its second game on Friday to get ahead in the early goings. Elizabeth Caporuscio went yard for her first homer of the season to make it 1-0 in the second. Nikki Girard then came around on a sacrifice fly by Bailey Wigness for a 2-0 lead after two innings.
Escobedo came in strong, keeping the Spartans off the bases through three complete innings, tallying six strikeouts along the way before giving up her first hit in the fourth. MSU tied it in the fourth, 2-2, with its second hit, a two-run long ball by Jayme O'Bryant.
The Sun Devils answered in the bottom of the fourth with four more runs to go up 6-2. Girard scored on a Lucy Aubrecht stand-up double to left center - Aubrecht later came home during Alix Johnson's at-bat. Two final runs were etched, unearned, by way of Freeman ringing in a double of her own.
Freeman was clutch yet again, hitting her fourth home run of the year in the sixth, a three-run ringer to dead center. ASU held on in the top of the seventh to finish the victory, 9-2. Freeman finished the game 2-for-4 at the dish with one run and five RBI.
Up Next:
ASU is slated to play Illinois-Chicago (UIC) at 3 p.m. Saturday and then follows up with Illinois State at 5:15 p.m. All game times are subject to start late, follow us on Twitter for time updates @ASUSoftball.
Notes:
Northern Iowa held ASU off the board through five innings, the longest it has taken the Sun Devils to score in a game thus far.
Dallas Escobedo struck out the final six batters of the contest against Northern Iowa. She continued to fan batters into the next game, against Michigan State, striking out the first and third batters in the top three innings. Escobedo has 55 strikeouts thus far in 2013.
Elizabeth Caporuscio's home run against Michigan State is her first of the season and 17th in her career. The sophomore is tied for 16th all-time at ASU in the category, currently with Alix Johnson.
Amber Freeman is now tied for 18th in career home runs at ASU with 16.