March 2, 2013
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TEMPE, Ariz. - Arizona State softball set the new program record for best season start after picking up wins against East Carolina, 13-0 (5), and North Carolina, 7-4, on Saturday. Mackenzie Popescue and Jenna Makis combined for a 13-0 (5) shutout of ECU to start the night. Sam Parlich headlined the offense against UNC to help Dallas Escobedo to her 11th win.
Alix Johnson's two home runs and four hits against ECU (7-11) expedited ASU's 10th mercy rule of the season. Sam Parlich nearly hit for the cycle against the Tar Heels, finishing the game 3-for-3 at the dish. With the wins, the Sun Devils rolled to 21-0 and set the new program best start, rewriting 2006's 19-0 beginning.
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*A reminder to fans that games are subject to run late, start times are subject to change. MCC on the schedule page is Mesa Community College, address here and below.
21-0 start for @thesundevils! Best start in program history @ncaasoftball @espnu Play our first ranked opponent 1130 am MT vs. Baylor tmrw
-- ASU Softball (@ASUSoftball) March 3, 2013
GAME ONE: ASU 13, ECU 0 (5)
Alix Johnson led the Sun Devils off with a long shot past 210 feet in dead center, only five pitches into the game. Nikki Girard's double down the right line allowed Cheyenne Coyle and Amber Freeman to cross home and gave ASU a 3-0 lead on one out. Mary Spiel got her wheels churning for an infield RBI-single, 4-0, which plated Girard in the last run of the inning.
For the second time of the game, ASU smoked a home run with no outs on Coyle's eighth homer of the season. Johnson scored during the play after reaching on her second hit, a single through the right side. With the Sun Devils' comfortable lead of 6-0 in the second inning, East Carolina called to Sarah Christian to relieve starter Courtney Smith in the circle.
The Devils tacked up one run in the third, 7-0, on an RBI-single by Johnson to bring in M. Spiel. Johnson continued to dominate the Pirates, hitting another home run to start the fifth to make it a 10-0 blowout. With the hit, Johnson went for a team-best 4-for-4 at the plate, and had five RBI.
Using six runs in the fifth, ASU went ahead 13-0 and held on to the bottom of the inning to pick up the mercy rule. Arizona State hit around in the frame and used eight pinch hitters, three hits and four walks to stretch the lead.
Mackenzie Popescue picked up her ninth win of the year and combined with Jenna Makis for the shutout. The Pirates went through four pitchers but Courtney Smith garnered the loss as the starter, dropping to 0-4.
With our 13-0 (5) win over ECU, #3 @thesundevils softball on a program best start 20-0, wins from here are bonus to that @asu @pac12 @espnu
-- ASU Softball (@ASUSoftball) March 3, 2013
GAME TWO: ASU 7, UNC 4
Dallas Escobedo was lights out in the opening moments, retiring the first four batters, three looking. North Carolina stung first though, on Kristen Brown's home run to center that gave the Tar Heels the first lead of the game 2-0 in the second.
It was 4-2 when ASU rallied for four runs in the bottom of the third. Freeman put ASU back in the running by delivering with a home run, closing the gap at 2-1. The shot was Freeman's seventh of the season and 19th of her career. Girard singled up the middle to plate Haley Steele followed by Sam Parlich bringing in the next two runs on a shot to right center that was just shy of clearing the wall.
North Carolina answered with a second two-run homer, this one coming in the top of the fourth which tied it back up at 4-4. After a brief chat from pitching coach Chuck D'Arcy to starter Escobedo, the ace was able to force the third out to close the stanza.
The score teeter-tottered once again, going in favor of ASU 5-4 when Bailey Wigness scored unearned on a sacrifice fly by Johnson. Wigness led off the fourth with a single to center and then advanced to third on a Tar Heel error.
Parlich added insurance, 6-4, in the sixth with a lead-off homer to left, her fourth of the year. Arizona State got one final run from Johnson on a Steele single for what would be the final score of 7-4.
Behind a clean defense, Escobedo picked up her 11th win. UNC's Lori Spingola takes the loss, dropping her record to 8-4.
Up Next
The Sun Devils close out the tournament against No. 22/20 Baylor at 11:30 a.m. Sunday. This marks the first time ASU has faced a ranked opponent in 2013.
Notes
The Sun Devils are on a 21-game win streak to start the season. Each consecutive win will rewrite the program's best start record. The previous mark was 19-0 set in 2006 under then first year head coach Clint Myers.
Alix Johnson tied her career best in single game hits (four) and single game homers (two) against ECU. She has 21 career homers, tying her for 13th in the ASU record books.
Sam Parlich also ties for 13th in career homers with 21. Her fourth homer of the year came in ASU's victory against UNC.
Amber Freeman's home run against UNC was her seventh of the season and 19th of her career. She ranks 15th in the category all-time.
Clint Myers is hunting down a benchmark of his own, his 400th career Division I win. He has 398 after Saturday's games and will use each victory earned this weekend to boost him closer to the milestone.