ASU Softball coach Clint Myers didn’t have much to say after the team’s 2-1 loss to No. 2 Alabama.
The potent Sun Devil lineup nearly came up empty against Alabama sophomore pitcher Jackie Traina as it only recorded three hits and five walks. Traina did most of her damage striking out ASU batters. She recorded 11 strikeouts with four of them coming against sophomore outfielder Alix Johnson, who is second on the team with a .400 batting average.
Junior second baseman Sam Parlich was one of the few bright spots for the Sun Devils, as she ripped a single through the right side in the bottom of the fourth.
“She threw us a lot of pitches that we could hit,” Parlich said. “I don’t think we took advantage of that. I feel like she didn’t mix up speeds that much, so she wasn’t fooling us with the change-up. I feel like our opportunities were given to us and we didn’t take advantage of them.”
Parlich, who also had a walk in the game, had tried to bunt, but was unsuccessful in her fourth inning at bat. Her single recorded her 25th RBI of the season and only the second for ASU in the Women’s College World Series.
“I wanted to do anything I could just to move the runners over,” Parlich said. “I just took it to right field. It felt good.”
Sophomore pitcher Dallas Escobedo felt she pitched well despite the loss. She allowed seven hits, but struck out nine while holding the Crimson Tide to two earned runs.
“I thought to myself, wow, this might be a slugfest, and then it turned into a great pitcher’s duel,” Alabama coach Tim Murphy said. “But hats off to them. Dallas pitched a great game, but Jackie just had just a little bit better one.”
Traina had to fight hard to get every out as ASU challenged her in the 7th inning when senior outfielder Taylor Haro legged out an infield single. Then Myers made a move which surprised Murphy. He had senior All-America shortstop Katelyn Boyd bunt. Alabama junior third baseman Courtney Conley made one of the boldest plays of the game by turning and throwing to second to get Haro, instead of taking the easy out.
Now, the Sun Devils will need to win five straight games to recapture the NCAA title. A prospect Escobedo didn’t feel too frightened about.
“Florida did it last year,” Escobedo said. “So it’s not impossible to get there. But I am definitely taking it one game at a time. I’m not trying to look forward to anything, but the game tomorrow.”
ASU will play the winner of the LSU and South Florida game Saturday, which takes place at 9 a.m. PT. ASU’s game, will start at 4 p.m. PT.
Reach the reporter at jjmckelv@asu.edu
