Junior pitcher Dallas Escobedo releases a pitch during the Sun Devils' 11-0 win over Oregon State Saturday. The weekend sweep over the Beavers improved ASU to 5-1 over Pac-12 opponents this season. (Photo by Jessie Wardarski)In an explosive fourth inning, it felt like the ASU softball team was taking batting practice, rather than competing in an actual game.
ASU (34-3, 5-1 Pac-12) scored seven of its 11 runs in the frame and hit three home runs in the inning en route to an 11-0 win over Oregon State.
Oregon State (23-9, 0-3 Pac-12) played ASU tight on Thursday and Friday, losing one game by a run and another on a walk-off. However, ASU’s sluggers were too much for the Beavers to handle in Saturday’s series finale.
“Being able to get the sweep on our first home series is outstanding,” junior pitcher Dallas Escobedo said.
Sophomore catcher Amber Freeman provided the heavy lifting early. Freeman hit a solo home run in the first and followed it up with a three-run shot to left in the third.
“Coming into today, yeah, I thought I was struggling at the plate a little bit,” Freeman said. “I wasn’t seeing the ball as well as I should have. I came in today with a clear mind told myself to relax in the box.”
After the third inning, Oregon State inserted senior pitcher Marina Demore into the game. Demore is susceptible to the long ball, as evidenced by junior shortstop Cheyenne Coyle’s walk-off Friday and the Sun Devils hitting two off her Thursday.
In her only inning Saturday, Demore gave up seven runs, including three two-run homers. She retired only two unique hitters in the inning, getting freshman first baseman Nikki Girard out twice in the inning.
“It felt like I barely hit the ball, and the ball sailed off,” Parlich said, who homered in the inning. “I think we more selective on getting our pitch and not swinging at her pitches.
Junior pitcher Dallas Escobedo tossed a five-inning shutout. In her last start against Oregon State (on Thursday), Escobedo allowed four runs, including two home runs.
“Seeing the way I pitched on Thursday night, I knew something was different,” Escobedo said. “I actually watched my film from the 2011 World Series when I was a freshman and saw different ways of success that I had done in the past.”
ASU had production from all across the lineup. Every starter either scored a run or recorded a hit at the plate.
Something that helped ASU was playing in a series, rather than a tournament, and learning the opposition’s tendencies.
ASU coach Clint Myers said the plan remained the same, but the results indicate they figured something out.
“We actually just followed what we set out to do on Thursday and Friday and we were a lot more successful with it," Myers said. “We took better swings. The plan stayed the game. It was just that we executed today.”
Reach the reporter at justin.janssen@asu.edu
