ASU senior Sierra Rodriguez attempts to take second base against Michigan sophomore Abby Ramirez, Sunday March 1, 2015, at Farrington Stadium in Tempe. The Sun Devils lost to the Wolverines 6-2. (Krista Tillman/The State Press)
It's safe to say that ASU softball isn't scared of playing away from Tempe.
Three games into their first road trip of the season, the No. 22 Sun Devils (18-7) have three wins, two of them coming over top ten ranked teams.
No. 9 Baylor (12-3) was the latest casualty for the upset-minded ASU softball team as the Sun Devils prevailed 8-2 to move to 3-0 so far in the Judi Garman Classic.
Breanna Macha took the circle for the Sun Devils once again, moving her record to 9-4 and showing all the signs of progression that her coaches had been hoping for.
Macha shut down a powerful Baylor lineup in a dominant complete game victory, and showed resilience with runners on base. Baylor left seven runners stranded in this game.
ASU got it going on the offensive side in the early part of this game against a very talented Baylor pitching staff, putting up four runs in the top of the second inning thanks to an RBI single by senior left fielder Elizabeth Caporuscio and a 3-run home run by senior first baseman Bethany Kemp.
Bethany Kemp now with seven RBI in her last two at bats from the 8-spot in ASU order. Can't argue with the productivity. 4-0 Devils, B2.— Sun Devil Softball (@ASUSoftball) March 6, 2015
Baylor would answer in the fourth, however, on a two-RBI single to right field by sophomore Lindsey Cargill, bringing the Bears within two runs.
While Baylor kept up with ASU on the offensive end for a good portion of the game, it rotated three different pitchers into the lineup to try and find consistency and hold back a blistering group of Sun Devil batters.
But the only thing that Baylor's pitchers did consistently was get carved up by the ASU offense.
The Bears proceeded to give up four runs in the fifth inning despite the second pitching change, and ASU never looked back.
Senior third baseman Haley Steele had an excellent outing, finishing 3-for-4 including a two-RBI single in the fifth.
Senior right fielder Sierra Rodriguez's thick skin proved valuable for the Sun Devils as she went 1-for-3 with an RBI and got nailed with two separate pitches over the course of the game.
Macha finished her outing with three consecutive 1-2-3 innings after giving up those two runs in the fourth, a prime example of her growth and maturity that is emerging as her freshman season progresses.
The offensive showcase for the Sun Devils featured the most runs Baylor has given up all season. The previous high, four, was half as many runs as ASU put up on Friday.
Next up in the Judi Garman Classic for the Sun Devils are the San Jose State Spartans and the No. 14 Auburn Tigers, who are led by the former ASU head coach and two time national champion in Tempe: Clint Meyers. First pitches for the games will be at 4 and 9:00 p.m. MT in Fullerton, CA.
Reach the reporter at rclarke6@asu.edu or follow @RClarkeASU on Twitter.
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