Teammates eagerly await ASU junior catcher Katee Aguirre after her 3-run homer vs. Indiana softball at Farrington Stadium on Feb. 7, 2015. Aguirre would have a monster game with a 3-run home run and a walk off single as the Sun Devils romped over the visiting Hoosiers 10-2.
In its first Saturday night under the lights at Farrington Stadium, the ASU softball team crushed the Indiana Hoosiers 10-2 in six innings.
In the circle for the Sun Devils (4-1) was once again freshman Dale Ryndak, making her second career start for ASU, allowing four hits and giving up two earned runs.
Ryndak struggled to keep her pitch count down, finishing the day with 87 before being relieved by freshman Breanna Macha to start the fifth inning. Macha pitched the remainder of the game without allowing any of the six batters she faced to get on base.
Ryndak attributes the high pitch count to her style of play.
"I'm a drop ball pitcher so I get more ground balls and people will go later in the count with me," Ryndak said. "But that doesn't mean I won't get strikeouts."
The first two innings didn't make for much offense for the Sun Devils, but then the heart of the ASU lineup exploded for two consecutive home runs, including a two-run bomb by senior Haley Steele and a solo shot by senior Amber Freeman.
The Sun Devils weren't done after that, though. Two straight singles by senior Bethany Kemp and sophomore Chelsea Gonzales were followed up by a 3-run homer by junior Katee Aguirre, giving the Sun Devils six total runs in the third inning.
ASU sophomore shortstop Chelsea Gonzalez follows through after hitting a single vs. Indiana softball at Farrington Stadium on Feb. 7, 2015. Gonzalez’s hit would be part of a massive 6-run inning for the Sun Devils as they romped over the visiting Hoosiers 10-2. (Daniel Kwon/ The State Press)
Coach Craig Nicholson sees Saturday's performance as an example of the potential of his team.
"That can happen with any part of our lineup," Nicholson said. "If we can go out there and have that kind of approach as a ball club, then I think we're going to have success."
Indiana (1-3) responded in the top of the next inning with a dinger of its own by designated hitter Michelle Huber, reducing the Sun Devil lead to 6-2.
The Hoosiers could not gain any more ground on ASU, however. An RBI single by junior Nikki Girard in the fifth inning extended the lead to 7-2 for the Sun Devils. Freeman chimed in once again in the sixth with a powerful double that brought Steele home, giving ASU an 8-2 advantage. Indiana would not recover after committing a number of errors that led to another run scoring.
The key offensive performance of the day came from an unlikely candidate in Aguirre, who finished the day 2-for-4 with four RBIs, three of which came on that home run in the third. Her second hit was the game-clinching RBI single in the sixth.
Aguirre chimed in on her performance, which earned her player of the game honors.
"I came into the game pretty confident," Aguirre said. "This pumped me up even more."
Aguirre's team had its most dominant performance of the season, and she sees a steady improvement.
"We've been working really hard," Aguirre said. "We're ready to play and we're ready to take on anybody."
With her 42nd career home run in tonight's game, Freeman moved to tied for fourth all time in ASU softball history, a list that she will undoubtedly continue to climb in her final season as a Sun Devil.
Freeman discussed her place in ASU history, one that she is grateful for.
"It's amazing considering all of the great players that have played here before me," Freeman said. "I'm really humbled by that."
Reach the reporter at rclarke6@asu.edu or on Twitter @RClarkeASU.
Like State Press Sports on Facebook and follow @statepresssport on Twitter.
