ASU junior pitcher Mackenzie Popescue escaped a seventh inning jam for a six-out save as ASU softball team (31-3, 2-1 Pac-12) defeated UCLA (24-6, 1-2 Pac-12) in a 5-4 thriller.
ASU took the series from UCLA on the road to open Pac-12 play behind 11 hits and five walks.
The Sun Devils jumped ahead 5-0 early. It seemed they would cruise to an easy victory as they did the previous day in a 10-3 win over UCLA.
ASU hit five singles in the first two innings without scoring a run and left the bases loaded in the second.
In the third inning, freshman first baseman Nikki Girard hit a two-run home run to left. The shot was her third of the season, and the second in the series against UCLA.
After the third inning, UCLA replaced freshman pitcher Paige McDuffee after just 70 pitches. She hadn’t pitched since March 2 and has battled arm injuries in the past, so she may have operated on a tight pitch count.
UCLA junior outfielder/pitcher Jessica Hall moved from first base to the mound to relieve McDuffee. ASU scored three runs off Hall in her first relief inning that day behind four hits. Girard continued her strong play in the series with an RBI single in the inning.
In the bottom of the frame, UCLA started to chip into the 5-0 deficit. UCLA freshman designated player Britney Rodriquez launched a two-run home run of her own off ASU junior pitcher Dallas Escobedo.
Escobedo retired the Bruins in order in the fifth inning, but in the sixth she was forced out of the game. To lead off the inning, UCLA sophomore shortstop Stephany LaRosa homered to center, the fourth homerun UCLA hit off Escobedo in the series.
Escobedo walked the next two hitters in the sixth and in came Popescue out of the bullpen. Popescue recorded three consecutive groundouts to escape the inning, but UCLA picked up another run and trailed 5-4 entering the final inning.
In the seventh, Popescue walked two hitters with one out, meaning the tying and winning runs were on base. LaRosa flied out to right and Popescue retired the final hitter on a groundout, ending the threat and giving ASU the series victory.
Escobedo (16-3), picked up the decision, but she only struck out one hitter in five-plus innings of work, an anomaly for her, considering she entered the series striking out 11.3 hitters per seven innings.
Reach the reporter at Justin.Janssen@asu.edu
