(Photo Courtesy of Arizona State Athletics)
TEMPE — Cheyenne Coyle hit a three-run home run – one of her two long balls on the night – and ASU scored four runs in the bottom of the second inning, which was more than enough insurance for pitcher Alexis Cooper who pitched a one-hit, complete game in a 12-1 victory over Seton Hall on Friday.
The Sun Devils (13-0) had a season high four home runs in the game, three of which came in the fourth inning as the squad had their most potent offensive performance of the season. Seven Sun Devils logged a hit while nine reached base in the contest.
Cooper (1-0) retired the side in the first inning with only four pitches. She built off that momentum, going on to pitch a complete game in five innings of one-hit ball, not giving up an earned run while striking out one.
Cheyenne Coyle logged one of her three runs on the evening on a passed ball in the first but Seton Hall (3-5) answered with an unearned run of their own in the top of the first the even things up.
Alix Johnson made a remarkable diving grab in center field on a line drive quickly slicing away from her to save a runner from scoring from third in the inning, the play of the game on defense for the Devils.
The Sun Devils answered the Seton Hall run with a four-run second inning that saw Bethany Kemp score on a Sashel Palacious double that set up Coyle’s first homer of the night – a three-run shot to left to put ASU up 5-1.
Cooper locked in at that point, retiring nine of the next 11 batters with the only two base runners reaching on a walk and a defensive miscue.
The bats came alive again for ASU in the bottom of the fourth inning, plating seven runs thanks in part to three different home runs. Coyle and Johnson began the inning with back-to-back solo shots – Coyle’s plunking off the gymnastic building that resides nearly 20 feet away from the outfield wall.
Freshman Chelsea Gonzalez put the icing on the cake with her first career grand slam to seal the victory for ASU.
Coyle finished the game with three hits, three runs and four RBIs, and now has hit five home runs on the season. For Johnson and Gonzalez it was their second home run of the year.
