TEMPE ? The No. 19 Arizona State softball team swept their doubleheader, earning a 12-9 victory against St. Francis before cruising to a run-rule victory against Mount St. Mary’s, 17-0 (5), on the second day of the Diamond Devil Invitational at Farrington Stadium.
It was a nine home run day for the Sun Devils as Nikki Girard, Nichole Chilson, Katee Aguirre, Chelsea Gonzales, Jenn Soria, and Fa Leilua all went deep to headline ASU’s explosive attack at the plate.
Girard hit a perfect 4-for-4 with a home run, two doubles, and seven RBI on the day. With today’s effort, Girard is now 12-of-17 this season with runners in scoring position ? made all the more impressive by the fact she has 17 total hits this season.
Chilson went 5-for-7 on the evening with two home runs, two doubles, and six RBI. Aguirre and Gonzales both went yard multiple times on the night as the latter improved her team-leading season total to six while also adding to her team-leading 20 RBI.
Kelsey Kessler earned the victory in both contests to improve to 5-1 this season.
Arizona State returns to action for the finale of the Diamond Devil Invitational against St. Francis at 1 p.m. MT at Farrington Stadium.
Full recaps of Saturday’s action can be found below:
ASU 17, Mount St. Mary’s 0 (5)
Kelsey Kessler got the nod for the second game of the evening and pitched a gem. The junior RHP had a perfect game through four and a third innings before allowing her only hit on a Lindsey Heinze grounder into the hole that shortstop Chelsea Gonzales made an incredible play at but just couldn’t get the out at first in time.
Kessler finished with eight strikeouts with no walks and no runs to earn her fifth win of the season and second of the day.
The Sun Devils carried their offensive momentum from the first game into game two, hitting through the line-up to score six runs in the bottom of the first inning. Girard continued her hot hitting with a two-run double and Aguirre followed with a two-run blast ? her second of the season ? for a 6-0 lead after one frame.
#GiveHerThoseTacos https://t.co/iKmsieRj5R
? Sun Devil Softball (@ASUSoftball) February 28, 2016
ASU had their own home run derby with back-to-back-to-back bombs as Jenn Soria started things off with a three-run homer to center field. Gonzales and Chilson followed with solo shots for their second homers of the day and Aguirre didn’t want to be left out as she hit her second of the game with a two-run dinger on what will officially go down as four straight at bats with only a Nikki Girard walk breaking up the run.
ASU would inevitably post eight runs in the bottom of the second and added one more on an Avi Davis RBI fielder’s choice ? the first RBI of her career.
Leilua rounded out the scoring in the bottom of the fourth with a solo homer to left field.
ASU 12, St. Francis 9
All three Sun Devil pitchers saw action in the first game as Breanna Macha started in the circle against St. Francis, allowing five earned runs off four hits in 3.2 innings pitched. Dale Ryndak allowed four earned runs on four hits in 1.2 innings, before Kelsey Kessler finished the game striking out three of the five batters she faced to earn her fourth win of the season as the most effective reliever.
St. Francis took an early 1-0 lead in the first before the Sun Devils tied the game in the bottom of the second at 1-1.
ASU scored five runs on three hits in the bottom of the third including a Chilson two-run home run ? her second of the season ? to right field to extend ASU’s lead to 6-1.
The Red Flash used three hits, three walks and a hit batter to score four runs and get within one run of the Sun Devils in the top of the fourth with the bases loaded. Ryndak struck out the final batter to end the spurt and preserve ASU’s lead.
Highlighted by a pair of home runs by Girard and Gonzales, the Sun Devils answered in a big way in the fourth and fifth innings, scoring six runs to extend the lead to 12-5.
CHELSEA GOING...GOING...GONE-ZALESSSS!! The fifth of the year for @cgonzales112! 12-5 ASU! pic.twitter.com/KeA3CATkLX
? Sun Devil Softball (@ASUSoftball) February 28, 2016
The Red Flash put up a fight as Jordan Seneca hit a grand slam in the top of the sixth with one out to cut the lead 12-9, but Kessler shut them down to make the score final.