Junior pitcher Dallas Escobedo releases a pitch in the Sun Devils' 8-0 win over North Dakota on March 1. ASU hopes to bounce back and build a new win streak after suffering its first loss to Baylor Sunday. (Photo by Dominic Valente)The winning streak wasn’t going to last forever.
After suffering its first loss after 21 victories, the ASU softball team seeks to start a new winning streak at the Diamond Devil Invitational from March 8 to March 10.
Four NCAA Division I softball teams entered last weekend undefeated. Only one survived unscathed.
One weakness ASU (21-1) showed in the 6-2 loss to Baylor was the difficulty of hitting a left-handed pitcher. Without one on the roster, it’s tough to simulate in practice.
“We had more strikeouts in that one game than the whole weekend,” sophomore outfielder Elizabeth Caporuscio said. “I think we learned that left-handed pitchers are going to be more difficult and more hard per say, because we’re not used to them that much. We just need to focus on that side of pitching.”
In its loss to Baylor, ASU struck out 11 times at the plate. In the other five games that weekend, ASU struck out only nine times.
“It was a growing experience, because we found out what we did wrong,” Caporuscio said. “The other team outplayed us in all aspects. Now we know, for next time or if we play them again, certain ways to beat them and we’ll be able to beat them.”
For the freshmen, it was their first loss as a Sun Devil. Freshman first baseman Nikki Girard, who has started the last eight games, said veterans told her all she can do is learn from the experience by watching film to improve down the road.
ASU might face more southpaws in the Diamond Devil Invitational. Three of the four schools scheduled against ASU have a left-handed pitcher.
UC Davis sophomore left-hander Leah Munden started six of 20 games in 2013.
Later on, ASU plays Pittsburgh twice. Sophomore Alexa Larkin, another left-handed pitcher, started seven of 15 games for the Panthers this year.
Finally, Notre Dame could counter ASU with freshman southpaw relief pitcher Allie Rhodes.
It’s widely thought that left-handed hitters struggle against left-handed pitchers rather than right-handed pitchers.
Left-handed Caporuscio started 81 consecutive games to begin her ASU career. She saw that streak come to an end last weekend.
“I have to say it was weird not playing,” Caporuscio said. “Not playing made me realize how grateful I am and thankful for having the chance to be able to go out there and play for my team and represent ASU. Watching on the bench, I still felt a part of the team. We have great cheers and enthusiasm.”
Caporuscio, like any player, covets playing time. She also doesn’t want to risk further injury by playing.
“It is kind of tough, because of course I do want to play, and balancing that with trying to field is hard,” Caporuscio said. “Every time I do play, it’s taking a risk or a step back.”
Despite the back injury she suffered recently and a quad injury at the beginning of the season, Caporuscio is on a tear offensively. She leads ASU regulars with a .441 batting average.
“Even though knowing that I’m not 100 percent, I know in my head mentally I can still do it,” she said. “Being not 100 percent is affecting me in some ways, but I’m trying to make the most out of it and not affect me.”
Reach the reporter at Justin.Janssen@asu.edu
