May 3, 2013
Territorial Cup Series
TUCSON, Ariz. - A five-run second inning and a pair of three-run homers were not enough for Arizona State softball as the Sun Devils fell 10-9 in a walk-off at Arizona Friday night. The televised Pac-12 Network series continues at 6 p.m. PT Saturday.
Despite opening with an 8-0 lead, the Sun Devils succumbed to a five-inning rally by Arizona before falling 10-9. ASU is now 42-8 overall and 13-6 in the Pac-12 while Arizona took a boost with the win, 29-22 overall and 6-13 in conference play.
Dallas Escobedo pitched 5.2 innings in the game but it would be reliever Mackenzie Popescue (17-4) who garnered the loss, giving up the go-ahead run in the bottom of the seventh. Shelby Babcock went the distance for UA's win, making her 16-9 on the year.
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The Sun Devils used a three-hit frame in the second to pull ahead 5-0. Alix Johnson plated the first two runners with a single to left. Sam Parlich came in easy on the hit but it was a close call at the plate when Nikki Girard scored. The two-out rally continued in the next at-bat as Cheyenne Coyle connected for her 18th homer of the year, a three-run shot to right for the 5-0 advantage.
In the third, another three-run shot stretched the Arizona State lead when Nikki Girard lined a homer just over the left field wall to make it 8-0.
It wasn't until the bottom of the frame that Arizona got its first base runner and hit of the game. A walk and single put two runners on and Chelsea Suitos followed with an RBI single to right center. An ASU fielding error allowed Mandie Perez then Alex Lavine to score, unearned, to make it 8-2. The Wildcats then closed the gap to 8-3 when Suitos scored, also unearned, on a single by Chelsea Goodacre.
Arizona's momentum continued in the fourth and cut the Sun Devil lead by half at 8-4 on an RBI single. ASU answered with a single from Coyle to bring in Elizabeth Caporuscio from second base for a 9-4 lead after the top of the fifth. Coyle went on to finish the game 2-for-4, with four RBI and one run scored.
Unwilling to give up, the Wildcats stayed hot and scored for the third-straight inning, 9-6, this time off a two-run homer by Goodacre in the fifth. UA continued to tack runs on the board, three in the sixth with two of those off Goodacre's second two-run homer.
Tied 9-9 in the top of the seventh ASU went down in order for the first time during the game. Despite the Sun Devils bringing in reliever Mackenzie Popescue for the final out of the sixth, Arizona was able to rally for a 10-9 walkoff in the seventh. Back-to-back singles and a walk loaded the bases for Hallie Wilson, who singled in the game winning run on two outs.
The win for Arizona snaps the six-game winning streak the Sun Devils had going against the Wildcats.
UP NEXT
The Sun Devils continue the Territorial Cup series at 6 p.m. PT on Saturday, airing on the Pac-12 Network. The series concludes on Sunday at 3 p.m. PT on the Pac-12 Network.
NOTES
ASU is 38-3 when scoring first.
Cheyenne Coyle's home run is her 18th of the season, a team best. Entering the weekend she ranked 19th nationally with .35 homers per game.
Nikki Girard's homer in the third was her fourth of the season.
Arizona's 10 runs on Friday are the most an opponent has scored against ASU all year and the most for any opponent since April 22, 2011 when ASU beat Arizona 13-10 in Tucson.
Territorial Cup Series
ASU leads 8.5 to Arizona's 6.5. For softball, all regular season games count towards the season series tally.
Remaining Softball TV Schedule
May 4 at Arizona 6 p.m. PT Pac-12 Network
May 5 at Arizona 3 p.m. PT Pac-12 Network
May 10 vs. Oregon 5 p.m. PT Pac-12 Network
May 11 vs. Oregon 5 p.m. PT Pac-12 Network
Tickets For Final Home Series May 9-11 vs. Oregon | BUY TICKETS
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Road to the Championship | NCAA.com
NCAA Selection Show: May 12, 7 p.m. PT on ESPNU
64 teams, 31 automatic qualifiers, 16 seeded teams
Regionals: May 16-19 on 16 campus sites. Four-teams, double elimination
Super Regionals: May 23-26 on eight campus sites. Two teams, best-of-three format
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WCWS: Oklahoma City May 30-June 5.
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