Freshman catcher Amber Freeman’s three-run home run in the sixth inning saved the No. 3 ASU softball team from disappointment Wednesday.
The long ball forced the Sun Devils (36–5, 8–2 Pac-12) to split the series at No. 25 Oregon State, as the final game was cancelled before the end of the top of the first inning.
“We actually played very well Wednesday,” ASU coach Clint Myers said. “We had good at bats and did what we had to do.”
Senior pitcher Hillary Bach’s (17–0, 1.21 ERA) dominance was on display, as she scattered two runs over six and two-thirds innings in the team’s 3–2 win.
That final out wasn’t easy, with the Beavers forcing the Sun Devils to make a pitching change. ASU brought in sophomore Dallas Escobedo (14–4, 2.41 ERA) to end the game.
She came in trying to redeem herself after the disappointing end of Tuesday’s 4–2 loss.
In that game, Escobedo gave up a home run to OSU junior Elizabeth Santana in the seventh to send the game into extra innings, then gave up a two-run shot to Santana to end the game.
In Wednesday’s game, the Sun Devils were more than happy to intentionally walk Santana instead of pitching to her. This brought up junior Desiree Beltran, who Escobedo disposed of, striking her out to earn her fourth save of the year.
“She knows what the story is,” Myers said. “It’s just part of the game. She was ready, and she came back to strike out the last girl today to secure the win.”
After leaving 12 runners on base in the loss, the Sun Devils were much more efficient Wednesday, leaving just four runners on base.
“We just talked about understanding the words,” Myers said. “Anybody can say the words. We want people to understand the words, then to take that and execute the plan.”
Bach was also much more efficient with her pitches, as she threw 51 compared to Escobedo’s mammoth 177 pitches Tuesday night.
Myers was disappointed the team couldn’t finish the final game after taking a one-run lead in the first inning. It was the third time this year ASU scored in the first inning only to have the game cancelled.
“We talked about it on Tuesday,” Myers said. “It’s unfortunate that we didn’t get the third one in, because we were moving in the right direction.”
ASU is still in second place in the standings, but with the loss, the team drops even further behind No. 1 California.
“It puts us down three games this year,” Myers said. “So we are going to look at seeing what we can do.”
Reach the reporter at jjmckelv@asu.edu
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