FULLERTON, Calif. -- The 10th-ranked Arizona State softball team extended its winning streak to five games with back-to-back wins over Texas and No. 16 Nebraska in a Friday doubleheader to continue the Judi Garman Classic.
Dallas Escobedo pitched her third straight gem in the Sun Devils' 1-0 win over the Huskers with another one-hit effort, giving her three victories over top-25 opponents this season. In the morning game, Amber Freeman had two home runs as the offense came alive against perennial powerhouse Texas, as ASU jumped out to an early six-run lead and never looked back in an 8-3 victory.
The Sun Devils improved to 24-3 on the season with Friday's victories and are now 3-1 against teams ranked in the top 25 this season.
ASU will round out the Judi Garman Classic on Saturday with another doubleheader.
ARIZONA STATE 1, NEBRASKA 0
The Sun Devils found themselves in unfamiliar territory in the second game of their Friday doubleheader, as they were forced into extra innings for the first time this season against No. 16 Nebraska. But Bailey Wigness came through in the clutch with a walk-off single in the bottom of the eighth inning to score Elizabeth Caporuscio in a dramatic finish to a game that didn't have many fireworks in regulation.
Neither offense could figure out the opposing pitcher, and not a single runner advanced beyond second base through seven innings of action behind the exceptional performances of the ladies in the circle for both the Sun Devils and the Huskers.
Dallas Escobedo looked untouchable yet again in her third start in the last 72 hours, striking out 10 Nebraska hitters and allowing just a single hit with no walks and one hit batter in the game.
On the other side was another All-American Tatum Edwards, the reigning 2013 Big Ten Pitcher of the Year who threw a gem of her own, striking out 10 Sun Devils with just one walk and five hits to keep the potent ASU offense in check through seven innings.
With the teams at an offensive impasse through regulation, it took extra innings and the international tiebreaker rule to decide the game.
In the top of the eighth inning, Nebraska started with Edwards on second base. The senior advanced to third on a Dawna Tyson sacrifice bunt, bringing up M.J. Knighten and setting up the defensive play of the game. Knighten lined a foul ball down the first-base line that landed right in the mitt of a diving Bethany Kemp for the second out of the inning, keeping Edwards in place on third base. Kat Woolman then fouled out to Kemp in the ensuing at-bat to bring up the Sun Devils in the decisive final half-inning.
After a Kemp strikeout to open the inning, Caporuscio advanced from second to third on a Sierra Rodriguez pinch-hit single to left field to bring up Wigness. The senior sent a sharp bouncer to Edwards' left, and the ace couldn't corral the ball, allowing Caporuscio to score standing up to give ASU its second walk-off victory in the last four days.
Escobedo, who reached 1,000 career strikeouts on Thursday, now has 1,018 in her career and 132 this season following Friday's effort, her ninth double-digit strikeout performance of the season. It was the sixth-one hitter of the season for the senior ace, who is having a week for the ages.
Escobedo no-hit Longwood on Tuesday in a 1-0 victory, setting up her back-to-back one-hit performances against No. 5 Michigan and No. 16 Nebraska in the last two days. In those three games, Escobedo has posted a total stat line of zero runs, two hits, 32 strikeouts, three walks, three hit batters and an opponent batting average of .031.
In ASU's three victories over ranked teams this season (then-No. 7 Oklahoma, No. 5 Michigan and No. 16 Nebraska), Escobedo has picked up all three wins and allowed zero runs in three complete games with three total hits allowed, 31 strikeouts, zero walks, two hit batters and a .044 opponent batting average.
ARIZONA STATE 8, TEXAS 3
The ASU bats came alive to open the second day of the Judi Garman Classic, as the Sun Devils jumped on top of Texas early and dominated throughout.
The Devils had seven hits and eight RBI against the perennial powerhouse Longhorns, completing a Judi Garman sweep over the two teams that eliminated ASU from the WCWS last season after taking care of No. 5 Michigan on Thursday.
ASU got on the board in the bottom of the first after Alix Johnson reached on a walk to start the game and advanced following a Chelsea Gonzales reach on a throwing error. After Amber Freeman ground out, Haley Steele sent a laser single to right-center field to drive in Johnson and Gonzales, giving the Sun Devils an early 2-0 lead.
After Texas responded with a run in the top of the second, ASU took control in the bottom half of the inning. Bethany Kemp reached on a leadoff walk, advanced on a Katee Aguirre single and advanced again on a Bailey Wigness bunt single. With the bases juiced and one out, Gonzales brought Kemp around with a single to left to set up Freeman. The defending Pac-12 Player of the Year shook off her groundout in the first inning and sent a long fly ball over the wall in right-center for her first grand slam of the season, giving the Sun Devils a commanding 7-1 lead they would never relinquish.
Freeman wasn't done there, as she came up again to lead off the fifth inning after back-to-back 1-2-3 innings for the Sun Devils. Facing a 2-2 count, Freeman showed off her strength with an opposite-field blast down the right-field line to extend ASU's lead to 8-1.
The Longhorns tried to mount a rally in the top of the seventh inning, as Stephanie Wong and Holly Kern each scored and Texas had the bases loaded with two outs. Pinch hitter Marlee Gabaldon sent a harmless infield bouncer to Gonzales, however, who passed it to Cheyenne Coyle for the force-out at second to end the game.
Mackenzie Popescue held Texas at bay, working around 12 hits to strand 13 base runners and earn her team-leading 12th win of the season. Popescue struck out five and walked three.
