Arizona State needed 12 innings, but they outlasted the Portland State Vikings in an epic 6-5 battle on Friday night at Farrington Stadium.
Despite surrendering three home runs, Sun Devil pitcher Dallas Escobedo threw a complete game six-hitter in an extended effort.
Softball pitchers are universally known for their toughness, but Escobedo earned her stripes on Friday night by striking out a career-high 19 batters.
“Dallas is a heck of a pitcher. But she didn’t throw as well as she is capable of and there’s some work for her to do,” coach Clint Myers said.
When Lucy Aubrecht hit a walk-off single off of Anna Bertrand in the bottom of the 12th inning, the Sun Devils could finally breathe easier after remaining a perfect 13-0 on the season. However, Coach Myers wasn’t satisfied with his team’s effort.
“I’m happy we won but you know, the numbers are not good in our favor,” Myers said. We left 13 people on base, we had opportunities to score multiple times, and we didn’t execute.”
The Sun Devils opened the game in a groove, as center fielder Elizabeth Caparuscio knocked a solo home run in the second inning to give her team a 1-0 lead.
Haley Steele wasted little time and followed up Caparuscio’s home run with a round-tripper of her own to double the Arizona State lead.
Later in the second, Cheyenne Coyle drew a bases-loaded walk to give the Sun Devils a 3-0 cushion.
Unfortunately for Escobedo, her Achilles’ Heel on the evening was the homerun ball and Portland State second baseman Carly McEachran jumped on a third inning offering and launched a softball over the scoreboard in left-center field.
After McEachran’s two-run home run narrowed the deficit to one, Vikings’ designated player Alexa Morales shocked Arizona State by hitting a two-run shot of her own to give Portland State a 4-3 lead.
With their backs against the wall, the Sun Devils turned to sophomore Elizabeth Caparuscio to provide more offense. The sophomore set a career-high with four hits, and reached base in all six plate appearances.
In the fifth inning, Caparuscio drilled a leadoff single and scored on a Vikings throwing error later in the inning.
Surprisingly, from then on the offenses for both teams stalled and the pitchers shined in the circle.
The Sun Devils and Vikings remained tied until Brit Hendrickson unloaded on an Escobedo pitch for a ninth-inning home run.
The Vikings held a 5-4 lead, but Bertrand couldn’t hold the lead in the bottom half of the inning.
The Sun Devils had a chance to end the game with runners on second and third and one out, but the Vikings turned a 7-2-5 double play on a Sam Parlich sacrifice fly that only managed to tie the game.
Escobedo and Bertrand continued to trade zeroes until the Sun Devils started a rally in the bottom half of the twelfth inning.
Arizona State loaded the bases with the first three batters of the inning, and designated player Lucy Aubrecht singled home the winning run to send the Sun Devils home victorious.
Though the win didn’t come easily, Aubrecht was excited about her team’s resilience and broke the game down in simple words.
“Good teams find a way to win,” Aubrecht said.
The Sun Devils emerged after a three-and-a-half-hour marathon battle with a still-spotless record, but they’ll be right back at it with a doubleheader against Portland State on Saturday.
