TEMPE, Ariz. – Dallas Escobedo threw the first no-hitter in Arizona State University postseason history and the No. 4 Sun Devil (46-10) softball team knocked off San Jose State, 5-2, in the opener of the NCAA Tempe Regional on Friday.
Escobedo (26-4) had five strikeouts in a complete game effort, giving up three walks and one hit by pitch while allowing zero earned runs for her second career solo no-hitter.
Coverage throughout the Tempe Regional for Arizona State games will include: ESPNU on TV, WatchESPN.com online, Blaze Radio coverage online and on local radio, GameTracker live stats and updates via @ASUSoftball Twitter. Don’t be stuck trying to find a way to follow the game, all of the outlets above are free!
SJSU’s Amanda Pridmore (29-10) took the loss, giving up five runs (four earned) on eight hits in six innings of action.
Amber Freeman and Haley Steele each had solo home runs in the contest while the latter had in impressing leaping grab in the seventh inning to preserve the no-hitter.
Things didn’t start out so hot for the Sun Devils as Escobedo gave up a walk to Devin Caldwell and followed that with by hitting Markesha Collins to put both on base in the top of the first. An error on the ASU outfield with two outs allowed both to come home uncontested to give the Spartans (42-16) an early 2-0 lead. Both runs went unearned.
Recently anointed as the Pac-12 Player of the Year, Freeman answered for the Sun Devils in the bottom of the first with her 17th homer of the season on a two-out solo shot to left to bring ASU within one.
A sacrifice fly RBI from Elizabeth Caporuscio in the bottom of the second plated Bethany Kemp and evened the score at two each.
SJSU’s first error of the game was a costly one as a tough infield hit from Cheyenne Coyle led to a throwing error from the Spartan infield to first base that allowed Bailey Wigness to reach home to put ASU up 3-2 in the bottom of the fifth.
Haley Steele helped stretch the lead bottom of the sixth with her 10th home run of the season, a solo shot to left. A couple batters later, Nikki Girard’s double to the left field gap allowed Sam Parlich to score from first, giving ASU the final 5-2 advantage.
The Sun Devils performed well as a team, with seven of 10 batters all picking up hits to help provide the batting support behind Escobedo.
