TEMPE ? The No. 17 Arizona State softball team completed its sweep of the 2016 Littlewood Classic, defeating the Montana Grizzlies, 9-2, on Sunday afternoon to improve to 11-1 on the season.
Brynley Steele had the hit of the day for ASU with a three-run home run in the sixth ? the first of her collegiate career and the season ? and finished the game 1-for-2 with the home run and 4 RBI.
Go ahead and relive @brynleyrae's first career home run right here. 3-run shot blew this game open today! https://t.co/rt6xENr4Lh
? Sun Devil Softball (@ASUSoftball) February 21, 2016
Dale Ryndak took the circle and earned her fourth win of the season. The sophomore allowed six hits and one run in 4.2 innings pitched and improved to 4-0 on the year with the victory. Kelsey Kessler continued her busy weekend, coming in in relief to earn her second save of the season as she scattered four hits and a run while striking out two.
ASU's speed on the base path caused plenty of trouble for Montana as slap hitters Abby Spiel and Taylor Becerra combined to go 5-for-7 on the day.
ASU came out swinging in the first as Jennifer Soria singled through the left side of the field and Spiel dropped a bunt single right in front of catcher Lexie Brenneis. Chelsea Gonzales drew a walk to load the bases for the Sun Devils and Sashel Palacios plated the first run of the game with her bases loaded walk. Steele hit a sac fly to deep right field two batters later that allowed Spiel to tag and score to make it a 2-0 game early.
ASU would add another run in the bottom of the fourth after Nikki Girard drew a walk and was lifted for pinch runner Allie Butterfield. Taylor Becerra reached on a base hit to the shortstop and Butterfield advanced to third on a muffed throw to first.
Soria laid down a sac bunt to score Butterfield, extending the lead to 3-0.
The Grizzly bats woke up in the top of the fifth with a solo shot form Sydney Stites but Nichole Chilson brought the Sun Devils roaring back in their bottom half of the inning, singling over the second baseman's head and advancing to second on a miscue by the right fielder.
Ulufa Leilua pinch hit for Steele and drew a walk, Steele re-entered the game to run. Butterfield also drew a walk after a Stahm out and loaded the bases for Becerra.
The true freshman singled to a charging shortstop in Delene Colburn who overthrew to first and allowed Becerra to advance to second while Chilson and Steele scored to make it a 5-1 ball game.
Montana responded with another run in the top of the sixth after Gabby Martinez singled up the middle to bring in one run before but Kessler got ASU out of the inning with a 5-2 advantage.
The final nail the coffin came in the bottom of the sixth inning as Spiel singled to the pitcher and Gonzales followed with a hit to the left side of the field. Palacios added a run with a hit to left field that scored Spiel from second base.
Avi Davis came in to pinch run for Palacios and advanced a base along with Gonzales on a passed ball. Steele stepped to the plate and hit a bomb to center field for her first career round tripper to blow the game open and make it a 9-2 contest.
It was a game against the clock as the Grizzlies had set a drop dead time of 4 p.m. due to their travel arrangements but Montana's head coach Jamie Pinkerton allowed his scrappy squad a few minutes extra to finish the top of the seventh, which ending around 4:10 p.m.
The Sun Devils return to action in their first game of the Diamond Devil Invitation next weekend against No. 20 Minnesota on Friday, Feb. 26 at 4:30 p.m. MT at Farrington Stadium.