In January, freshman pitcher Dallas Escobedo entered the collegiate softball world with a surplus of hype and sky-high expectations.
Throughout non-conference play and the grueling Pac-10 season, she surpassed those expectations in the circle.
The success continued on into the Women’s College World Series. In Tuesday night’s game two championship series matchup, Escobedo turned in her final dominating performance as a freshman.
In the bottom of the seventh, Escobedo blew a two-out, two-strike rise ball past Florida’s Kelsey Bruder for the final out. With that strikeout and the 7-2 win, the Sun Devils (60-6) became the 2011 NCAA National Champions.
Like she did all season, Escobedo’s battery mate, senior catcher Kaylyn Castillo, jumped into her arms as the title celebration began.
For the second time in program history, the Sun Devils are college softball’s top team. Escobedo became the first freshman pitcher to lead her team to a NCAA national championship since 1990.
“It’s just a whole bunch of emotions right now,” Escobedo said. “We worked so hard. I just came in here and had total confidence in my pitches.”
ASU coach Clint Myers has now brought two national title trophies to Tempe during his six years at the helm.
“I’m just really lucky and fortunate and blessed to have the opportunity to work everyday with such fine athletes, more importantly to work everyday with such fine people,” Myers said. “They understand values. The understand family values. They care about each other. They listen to each other, and they take care of each other’s backs.”
In typical Sun Devil fashion, Escobedo teamed with her offense to notch a complete performance against the Gators (56-13). After pounding UF 14-4 on Monday night, ASU returned to ASA Hall of Fame Stadium on Tuesday night searching for just one more victory.
Throughout the entire WCWS, both teams’ offenses displayed high-octane power. In game two, it was the Gators who struck first.
Escobedo toed the rubber in her 38th start of the season, and surrendered a sacrifice fly off the bat of UF sophomore right fielder Brittany Schutte in the first inning.
The Sun Devil bats caught fire in the second inning. ASU outscored its opponents 123-18 in the second inning this season, including 12-0 in the WCWS.
In her final game as a Sun Devil, senior third baseman Krista Donnenwirth continued her hot hitting by lacing a leadoff single. Senior first baseman Mandy Urfer then drilled a double into the right-centerfield gap. After sophomore second baseman Sam Parlich reached on a fielder’s choice, freshman designated player Alix Johnson walked to force in a run and knot the score at 1-1.
It wouldn’t be a tie ballgame for long. Junior shortstop Katelyn Boyd came through in the clutch with a two RBI single into right field. In the third inning, Johnson brought home two more Sun Devils runs on her bloop single to right.
UF coach Tim Walton had seen enough, thus turning to freshman pitcher Hannah Rogers. She held ASU scoreless in the fourth inning before Boyd tagged her for an RBI single in the fifth.
The Sun Devil bats weren’t quite finished yet. With two outs in the top of the sixth, Lockwood took a Rogers’ offering and deposited deep into the left field bleachers for her team leading 19th homer of the season.
With that long ball, Lockwood pushed ASU ahead to 7-1. She capped her standout WCWS performance with three hits and two runs.
“I think it was just all the preparation,” Lockwood said. “We work all year to get here. This is all you practice and play for all year.”
Escobedo was cruising in the circle, as she allowed just two hits through the game’s first six innings. The Sun Devils were retired in order in the top of the seventh by Rogers to send the game to the final half inning.
The Gators wouldn’t go down without a fight. Sophomore designated player Ensley Gammel smacked a single into left to start the inning. Escobedo then retired freshman third baseman Kasey Fagan on a groundout to first.
Junior center fielder Michelle Moultrie flew out before senior catcher Tiffany DeFelice lined an RBI single. One batter later, Escobedo fanned Bruder for her fifth strikeout of the game.
Escobedo concludes her freshman season with 37 wins and 326 strikeouts. While she earned her first ring, the eight members of the senior class received their second. The seniors started their careers with a title win in 2008 and finished with a national championship in 2011.
“I don’t think anyone understands what kind of a team that was,” senior centerfielder Lesley Rogers said. “My freshman year, we were talented no doubt. We had an amazing senior pitcher and an amazing senior class and this year if you want to think of a perfect team, a cohesive team that has every piece of what you need to win a championship, that’s what this was, and it feels awesome.”
Reach the reporter at greg.dillard@asu.edu
