No. 21 ASU softball topped Oregon State 9-5 to even the series Saturday.
Saturday was also ASU softball's annual "Pink Night," garnering attention for breast cancer awareness.
For the annual #PinkGame, @ASUSoftball will be wearing pink uniforms and has painted a pink pitchfork in centerfield. pic.twitter.com/BOfqlaayIB
— Ryan Clarke (@RClarkeASU) April 19, 2015
Starting in the circle for the Sun Devils (28-16, 6-7 Pac-12) was freshman Dale Ryndak, who pitched five and one-third innings allowing nine hits and four runs (including two home runs) before being relieved by freshman Breanna Macha.
ASU head coach Craig Nicholson said giving up the long ball is part of Ryndak's pitching style.
"When you throw as hard as (Ryndak) throws, you're gonna give up some home runs," Nicholson said. "She's just got to continue to work to be able to change speeds and really keep the ball in good spots."
Oregon State (24-18, 5-12 Pac-12)drew first blood in the top of the second inning, scoring on a solo home run by senior CJ Chirichigno that cleared the scoreboard in left.
But the Sun Devils would respond in the bottom of the frame, scoring a run off of an RBI single by junior catcher Katee Aguirre to tie things up at one apiece.
ASU managed only one more run in the inning despite loading the bases, scoring on a single by senior right fielder Sierra Rodriguez before junior second baseman Nikki Girard got gunned down at the plate.
Entering the top of the third inning with a 2-1 advantage, Ryndak continued to have difficulties holding back the Oregon State lineup, allowing another run to score on the RBI double by freshman McKenna Arriola.
Much like the second inning, ASU answered a run by Oregon State with two of its own in the third, this time coming in the form of a two-run home run by senior third baseman Haley Steele.
With the bases loaded once again in the bottom of the fourth, the Sun Devils squandered an opportunity to add to their lead as senior left fielder Elizabeth Caporuscio and sophomore shortstop Chelsea Gonzales both popped out.
Senior catcher Amber Freeman didn't need any runners on base to do some damage in the bottom of the fifth, crushing a leadoff solo shot that put the Sun Devils on top 5-2.
Freeman said that you can expect this Sun Devil team to score plenty of runs consistently.
"Our lineup is strong one through nine," Freeman said. "We're going to be able to (score runs) all the time."
In the top of the sixth, Oregon State responded with a home run of its own, a two-run shot by Chirichigno that marked her second bomb of the day.
Like every other time that OSU scored a run in this game, ASU had an answer in the bottom of the inning. This time, it was Gonzales who provided the offensive punch with a two-run homer to center that gave the Sun Devils a 7-4 lead.
And ASU wasn't finished there, either. Senior first baseman Bethany Kemp provided a two-run shot as well to balloon the lead to 9-4 after six.
In the seventh, OSU managed a run on a throwing error in right field by junior Allie Butterfield, but couldn't get anything else going as it fell by four runs.
Nicholson said that he was pleased with the overall performance of his team given the tough loss on Friday.
"I liked the effort tonight," Nicholson said. "I liked the ability to bounce back, but we've gotta go out there and finish it tomorrow."
The rubber match between the Sun Devils and Beavers is set for Sunday at 12 p.m. in Tempe.
Reach the reporter at rclarke6@asu.edu or follow @RClarkeASU on Twitter.
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