Looking to bounce back from a sweep last week, the ASU softball team took two out of three games at home from Oregon over the weekend.
The No. 9 Sun Devils (37-10, 6-6 Pac-10) opened the series with a resounding 10-3 win on Friday night. They weren’t able to keep it going Saturday, as they fell 7-4, but wrapped up the series with a 3-0 win Sunday.
Despite getting the series win, ASU coach Clint Myers wasn’t completely satisfied.
“We’ve got to be able to take three out of three,” Myers said. “We’ve got to be able to put three consecutive good games together.”
ASU came out aggressively from the start in Friday’s opener, putting up four runs in the first two innings, only trailing the No. 20 Ducks (31-10, 7-5) for half an inning. Three of those runs came off hits by junior third baseman Krista Donnenwirth.
That start was enough to chase UO freshman ace Jessica Moore from the game, and into the loss column.
ASU’s ace, sophomore Hillary Bach, who lost two games last weekend, went a full seven innings, allowing three runs on eight hits and tallying a season-high 10 strikeouts to get the win.
“I worked really hard in practice this week,” Bach said. “I just came out with the idea that there was nothing to lose.”
Bach got an onslaught of offensive support in the fifth inning when ASU scored four more runs, including two on a double by junior first baseman Mandy Urfer, who finished 3-for-4.
“It was a better team effort,” Myers said. “The key thing is they scored and we answered.”
The Ducks countered Saturday night in front of a sellout crowd behind an efficient offensive attack.
The team’s seven runs came on just nine hits. Sophomore shortstop Kelsey Chambers led the way, going 2-for-3 with an RBI on a solo home run in the third inning.
ASU freshman pitcher Sam Parlich (7-5) struggled in the circle, giving up five runs in just 2.1 innings. Four of those runs came in the first inning, including two on a double from UO junior designated player Ashley Kivett.
Sophomore shortstop Katelyn Boyd got ASU on the board in the first with a solo home run, her 15th of the season, despite playing with two broken fingers. Urfer also homered in the game on her way to finishing the weekend 6-for-9 with three RBI, three runs scored, a double and a home run.
“I just saw the ball really well,” Urfer said. “I didn’t chase as much this weekend.”
Senior Megan Elliott came on in relief for Parlich, but lasted just 1 2/3 innings and allowed two runs before Parlich returned to finish the game.
The Sun Devils were able to close out the weekend with a victory behind another strong outing from Bach (19-4). The ace went seven innings, earning her seventh shutout of the season while allowing six hits and striking out six.
“I had a good approach,” Bach said. “It was a lot of fun just putting the love of the game back in — playing with passion and leaving it all on the field.”
While Bach tamed the UO bats, the ASU bats made some noise, despite getting outhit 6-5. Senior left fielder Caylyn Carlson got ASU on the board in the fourth inning with an RBI triple that was nearly an inside-the-park home run. ASU scored again in the fifth and sixth, including a solo home run from Donnenwirth.
“Coming off last weekend, this was really big for us,” Urfer said. “We didn’t go 3-for-3, but we’ll take two out of three.”
The Sun Devils now hit the road for consecutive road series with Stanford and Oregon State, both of which have been struggling.
“We’ve got every opportunity to go out and determine our own destiny,” Myers said. “We’ve just got to go out and execute.”
Reach the reporter at tyler.lockman@asu.edu
