March 28, 2013
TEMPE, Ariz. - In the Pac-12 home opener for Arizona State softball, the Sun Devils (32-3, 3-1 Pac-12) used a pair of home runs to outlast Oregon State (23-7, 0-1 Pac-12) by a score of 5-4 on Thursday night.
The Sun Devils kick started the game in the bottom of the second with a three-run frame. ASU backed it up with a solo run in the third and the fifth but Oregon State kept things close with a pair of two-run homers in the fourth and seventh. Dallas Escobedo picked up her 17th win of the season by fanning seven Beaver batters, including the final batter faced.
Friday 7 p.m. | Live Stats | Live Stats | Blaze Radio *TV game on Pac-12 Networks
It took Arizona State until the second inning to get runs on the board. Elizabeth Caporuscio broke the scoreless game with her fourth home run of the season to make it a 1-0 ASU advantage. A second run came in as Sam Parlich plated Nikki Girard in a groundout. ASU made it 3-0 by innings end when Bailey Wigness scored, unearned, following a Beaver miscue trying to get a runner at second.
Jumping ahead and staying in control has proved successful for the Sun Devils, who are now 29-1 on the year when scoring first. ASU saw Caporuscio score her second run of the night, this time in the third on Bethany Kemp's single to right center to make it 4-0.
Oregon State made its mark on the board, 4-2, leading off with a hit-by-pitch in the top of the fourth. Hannah Bouska closed the gap in the following at-bat, roping a two-run homer to dead center at 210 feet.
Home runs were aplenty on Thursday night, ASU getting its second long ball in the fifth. Haley Steele launched a solo shot on the first pitch she saw, just fair of the left field pole, to stretch the maroon and gold lead to 5-2.
Once again Oregon State was able to come up with an answer to Arizona State's offense. The Beavers notched their second two-run homer of the game, in the top of the seventh by Dani Gilmore's bat, drawing the score close on no outs, 5-4. Escobedo was able to push for two groundouts and a strikeout swinging to finish the frame and game, 5-4.
Softball opens with a win over the Beavs.
-- Steve Patterson (@SWPatterson) March 29, 2013
Escobedo is now 17-3 on the year while her Beaver counterpart, Marina Demore, falls to 16-4 with the Oregon State's first Pac-12 loss of the season.
Stick around after our 7pm game Friday night, @asu_baseball shoots off fireworks after their game which starts at 6:30pm. @thesundevils
— ASU Softball (@ASUSoftball) March 29, 2013
Up Next
ASU hosts the Beavers at 7 p.m. on Friday. The series finale will be at 2 p.m. on Saturday, broadcasted live on the Pac-12 Network as ASU's softball first TV game of the season of any kind. Updated softball TV schedule here. Complete season schedule here.
Follow Along
The entire series will have live stats, updates via Twitter @ASUSoftball and streamed audio by Blaze Radio. Saturday's 2 p.m. game will be the first ASU softball game to be broadcasted on the Pac-12 Network.
Reminder to fans, we are collecting canned food for Tempe families in need. Bring what you can to the game @thesundevils @oregonstatesb
— ASU Softball (@ASUSoftball) March 29, 2013
Marketing Promotions
Food Drive: Food drive benefitting, Tempe Community Action Agency, TCAA. ASU softball's goal is to donate 500 pounds of canned food over the weekend to give to Tempe families in need.
Friday: Photo Friday. All fans can stick around after the game to have their pictures taken with the team in the outfield.
Saturday: The first 250 fans to Farrington will receive one of the collectible All-American posters. This week is junior pitcher Dallas Escobedo. Autographs will be signed by the entire team following the game.
Notes
Elizabeth Caporuscio's home run in the second inning was her fourth of the season and 20th of her career. She still sits at 16th all-time in career homers, just one shy of tying fellow sophomore Amber Freeman at 15th with 21.
Haley Steele's home run is her sixth of the season and 17th of her career. She is now tied for 19th all-time in the category.
Dallas Escobedo got her 78th career victory. She is one win shy of tying All-American and ASU Sport Hall of Fame inductee Erica Beach (1999-2002) for fourth all-time at ASU.
With the win on Thursday, ASU leads Oregon State 73-29 dating back to 1977. ASU has won the last two meetings dating back to April 10, 2012.
The Sun Devils outscored their non-conference opponents 249-50. Thus far through four Pac-12 games, ASU is outscoring conference foe 22-14.