ASU Softball: Dale Ryndak’s dominant pitching put an exclamation on the Sun Devil’s 9-4 win

(Photo: Alli Cline)

As the Littlewood Classic continued to role on, the Arizona State Sun Devils would do the same against Boston University. In a game that consisted of four home runs, ASU defeated the Terriers 9-4.

The pitching matchup was a battle of junior pitchers. For ASU, Alexis Copper would make her third start of the season and for Boston, Lauren Hynes would step into the circle.

The Sun Devils were the first to strike in the bottom of the first inning when Amber Freeman brought home Allie Butterfield on a sacrifice fly, Freeman’s 14^th RBI of the season.

Boston was quick to strike back after catcher Gabi Martinez hit a home run over the centerfield wall raking in the first hit of the ball game for the Terriers. However they still had more to come in the inning, when later Emily Felbaum homered to right field giving Boston the 2-1 lead.

ASU came back in the bottom of the third inning and tacked on three runs thanks to back-to-back hits by Jennifer Soria and Butterfield (the first of her career). Two batters later, Haley Steele stepped up to the plate and roped a triple, scoring Soria and Butterfield. Bethany Kemp then hit a blooper down the right field line, knocking off the right fielder’s glove and allowing the first baseman to make it all the way to third for an RBI triple. The Devils regained control 4-2.

Just as Alexis Cooper seemed to be settling in after a one-two-three third inning, the junior gave up a hit to Brittany Younan. At the next bat, Felbaum crushed her second home run of the evening, knotting the score at 4-4.

Elizabeth Caporuscio and the Sun Devils would have an answer in the very same inning. After a base hit by Nikki Girard, Butterfield reached base on an error by the Terriers left fielder Emma Wong. The hot-hitting Caporuscio then pulled a ball to deep left field for a three-run home run, giving ASU the 7-4 lead.

The Devils run was not over as they continued to pile on runs in the bottom of the fifth. Soria brought home Bethany Kemp on a single. The pinch runner for Katie Aguirre scored on a pass ball that got under the legs of Martinez. With those two runs ASU extended its lead to 9-4.

When Dale Ryndak came in at pitcher to replace Cooper in the top of the fifth, she was nothing but perfect. The freshman sensation retired the final nine batters of the ballgame. Boston had no answer to Ryndak’s dominant pitching. She mowed down three batters including the final hitter of the evening.

ASU will have their second game of the night and first true test of the tournament as they take on Oklahoma in their fourth game of the Littlewood Classic.