(Photo: Alli Cline)
On a cool Saturday night and the back end of a back-to-back, the Sun Devils faced a tough test against the No. 4 team in the nation, Oklahoma University. After being in control the majority of the game, ASU couldn’t hold on, and fell to Oklahoma 5-1.
It was a matchup between two freshman aces and from the start it was clear this game was bound to be a pitcher’s dual.
Paige Parker, the hard throwing 5’11’’ lefty, came into the game with a 1.58 ERA in four games with a 2-0 record for Oklahoma. Dale Ryndak was in the circle for ASU, and tried to keep her momentum flowing as she retired the last nine batters she faced against Boston University directly before this matchup.
Ryndak avoided any damage in the first inning after escaping a three-hit inning by the Sooners. In the bottom of the first inning, ASU was able to take advantage of a single by Elizabeth Caporuscio when senior captain, Amber Freeman hit a two-out RBI double scoring Caporuscio from first base. The Sun Devils took the early 1-0 advantage.
Both pitchers were in control for the next few innings. At the end of four, Coach Craig Nicholson made a decision to take Ryndak out of the game, even though she had not given up a run.
“The plan going into the game was to pitch Dale four innings,” Nicholson said. “I felt like they were starting to make adjustments and I didn’t want her to have to see the top of the lineup again. Plus it’s only February 14.”
The score would hold for four innings until the Sooners’ Lauren Chamberlain stepped up to the plate in the top of the sixth inning. The senior got all of a high fastball and crushed it over the center field wall for her sixth home run of the season.
But Oklahoma was not done in the inning. The very next batter, Shelby Pendley, singled and scored on an Erin Miller RBI base hit. The bats stayed hot as Kady Self took another ball, which was left high in the zone from Macha, and sent it out of the park for a two-run shot giving the Sooners the 4-1 lead. Despite having no outs, Macha was able to get her team out of the jam, retiring the next three batters she faced.
ASU would attempt to recover from the four-run inning in the bottom of the sixth, but Parker was too much to handle. With two outs and runners on first and third Parker got Jennifer Soria swinging, stranding two runners.
The Sooners would continue to take advantage of Macha in the top of the seventh as they picked up one run on an RBI double by Shelby Pendley scoring her sister, Nicole Pendley and giving them the 5-1 lead. Macha was able to avoid any more damage as the Sooners stranded Pendley on base.
There was one more chance for the Devils in the bottom of the seventh inning but ASU would not have any late inning heroics.
The Sooners walked away with the 5-1 win and improved their record to 9-0 on the season.
“When you play a team like Oklahoma, you have to score and you have to compete and we did but our level of execution has to be a little better,” Nicholson said.
The Sun Devils will have a chance to rebound tomorrow when they face the Sooners again Sunday for the final game of the Littlewood invitational, first pitch is 1:00.
You can reach the author on Twitter @DrewJandre or by email at dandre@asu.edu
