On the road for the first time this season, the ASU softball team went 3-2 at the Judi Garman Classic in Fullerton, Calif. over the weekend.
The No. 10 Sun Devils dropped a pair on the first day of the tournament, losing 1-0 to No. 15 Texas and 5-4 to No. 8 Oklahoma.
Things turned around the next day with an 8-2 win over DePaul, followed by a 10-0 win over Nevada-Las Vegas Saturday. ASU finished out the weekend with a 6-4 win over Purdue, making them 27-4 overall.
“I thought we played pretty good,” ASU coach Clint Myers said. “We’re showing signs of very competitive character.”
ASU’s matchup with UT turned into a pitchers’ duel. ASU’s sophomore ace Hillary Bach allowed just five hits and one run in six innings, but UT freshman Blaire Luna outdid her, allowing just one hit and striking out seven.
The loss was Bach’s first of the season.
“It was one of the better pitchers we’ve faced, and we were too passive,” ASU senior left fielder Caylyn Carlson said. “When you have good pitchers like Texas did, you’re going to get one good pitch [in an at-bat], and we took too many of those pitches.”
Game 2 of the Thursday doubleheader saw a little more fight in the Sun Devils, as the matchup with OU came right down to the last inning.
OU took a 1-0 lead into the sixth inning before ASU’s offense struck. With the bases loaded, sophomore right fielder Annie Lockwood singled up the middle to bring home two runs and give ASU the lead.
OU fired back in their part of the inning, putting up three runs on four hits against ASU senior Megan Elliott (9-1). ASU again battled back in the seventh, evening the game at 4-4, but the Sooners were able to take the game in the seventh.
Pitching in relief, Parlich took the loss.
“We lost both of those games in the seventh inning,” Myers said. “We weren’t disciplined.”
Bach pitched well again on Friday, getting a win over DU while allowing two runs and five hits in a complete-game effort.
Bach also got more help at the plate, including Lockwood’s 2-for-3 day with a home run and four RBI. Carlson also hit a solo home run in the second inning.
ASU went ahead early, scoring in the first three innings to take a 4-2 lead. A four-run fifth inning sealed the win.
“It was more of a mental change,” Carlson said of the offensive turnaround. “We didn’t start as strong as we wanted to.”
ASU kept rolling Saturday with a shutout of UNLV, Bach’s sixth of the season. Bach (13-1) gave up two hits in the run-rule shortened game to earn her 13th win.
At the plate, the Sun Devils made the most of a UNLV error. With two outs in the third, an infield error allowed ASU to score one and load the bases. Carlson then stepped to the plate and belted her third grand slam of the season, and ASU went up 5-0.
Carlson finished 3-for-4 with four RBI.
Sophomore shortstop Katelyn Boyd helped power ASU to the early win with a three-run home run in the fifth, her team-leading 12th of the season.
Securing a winning record for the weekend on the final day of tournament, ASU edged PU despite a late collapse.
With a 3-0 lead in the bottom of the sixth, Elliott allowed two runs and loaded the bases before leaving the game. An infield error allowed two more runs, and PU took the 4-3 lead.
The Sun Devils fought back in the seventh, though, tying the game before senior second baseman Ashley Muenz hit the go-ahead single and sophomore Taylor Haro followed with her own base hit to make the score 6-4.
“We still need to learn some things about maintaining a lead,” Myers said.
Carlson went 3-for-4 in the game with one RBI, and Parlich (5-2) picked up the win in relief while Bach got her second save of the season.
ASU takes the field again Friday at home against Cal Poly.
Reach the reporter at tyler.lockman@asu.edu
