BERKELEY – Two swings. That’s all Jenn Soria needed to put her stamp on the No. 20 Arizona State University softball team’s 7-4 victory over Cal in a nine-inning affair on the road in Berkeley.
After leading off the game with an opposite field dinger that landed in the parking lot in right field, Soria capped the game with her second oppo taco in the top of the ninth to give ASU a 5-4 lead that it wouldn’t relinquish as the Devils (26-9, 2-2 Pac-12) moved back to .500 in conference play.
Soria finished 3-for-5 with two homers as the Devils knocked four jacks in total – three of which coming in extra innings - as Dale Ryndak pitched both extra innings to earn her eighth win of the season and move to 8-0 overall.
Hey folks at @SportsCenter. Surely 2 dingers AND 2 sliding catches from @jennsoria5 are worthy of #SCTop10. Right!?https://t.co/14PfxQwoIV
— Sun Devil Softball (@ASUSoftball) April 2, 2016
Brynley Steele and Nikki Girard both went yard in extra innings with two-run shots to turn a pitcher’s duel into a barnburner in a game that would prove to be ASU’s longest this season.
Kelsey Kessler pitched seven solid innings of softball, striking out seven and walking just two with her lone blemish coming off the bat of Kobie Pettis in the bottom of the seventh – a two-run shot that tied the game and provided some free softball for the fans in the Bay Area.
The Sun Devil defense provided about half the highlights needed for the Pac-12 Networks’ Sunday Night 12-Best Plays, laying out for catch after catch with a grand total of five outs in the game coming of the diving variety.
Soria’s leadoff homer got things going for ASU and Girard would add to the lead in the third with an RBI single to make it a 2-0 game. But the Sun Devils struggled to close out innings on offense after that, stranding seven runners in regulation to keep the Bears within striking distance.
The highlight reel defense and Kessler’s ability to keep the Golden Bears guessing would prove to be the story for the second half of the game in what was a three-hit shutout until the seventh.
NOTHING is getting by @ASUSoftball today!
— Pac-12 Network (@Pac12Network) April 2, 2016
Watch #Pac12SB: https://t.co/YfMNDWLu5w https://t.co/n3TPENGDjG
A single from Khala Taylor preceded Pettis’ homer, but Kessler buckled down and rebounded to the tune of three straight outs to keep ASU alive and send the game to extras where the excitement really got going.
Brynley Steele looked to be the hero for the second time in three games in the top of the eighth as she knocked a two-run shot to center following Katee Aguirre’s two-out single. It was the third homer of the season for Steele and all three have come in the sixth inning or later of games yet to be decided.
But Cal would not go quietly into the night and a leadoff single following by a walk and a groundout moved two players into scoring position with one out. Ryndak looked to get Taurie Pogue to groundout to second but a error on the exchange at first allowed both runners on base to score and put the winning run on the base path with just one out.
Ryndak bounced back with a groundout and strikeout to keep the game alive.
It was then time for the Jenn Soria show. After an Abby Spiel strikeout to leadoff the ninth, Soria stepped to the plate and wasted no time (quite literally) getting ASU back on top with a first-pitch blast over the wall in right center to make it a 5-4 game.
Chelsea Gonzales drew a two-out walk to bring Girard to the plate and again, a senior wasted no time waiting for her pitch as she drove the belt-high first pitch into deep left center to give ASU some insurance at 7-4.
There would be no excitement from there. Ryndak struck out the first two batters she saw and capped off All-Pac-12 team member Jazmyn Jackson’s 0-for-5 day with a groundout to earn the victory.
The Sun Devils return to action against the Bears tomorrow at 4 p.m. PT for the second game of the series. The game is scheduled to be broadcast live on Pac-12 Networks Arizona and Bay Area.