TEMPE, Ariz. -- Arizona State advanced to the Super Regionals of the NCAA softball tournament by eliminating Georgia with a 2-0 win Sunday in the Tempe Regional at Farrington Stadium.
Dallas Escobedo once again dominated on the mound, improving to 3-0 on the weekend behind another complete game while holding Georgia (40-21) scoreless for the second consecutive contest. Escobedo gave up just three hits with five strikeouts and no walks in seven innings of play for ASU (48-10).
The junior has now pitched 31 consecutive innings without giving up an
earned run. In the three regional games over the weekend, Escobedo (28-4) gave up a total of five
hits.
Starting pitcher Chelsea Wilkinson (8-6) took the loss for Georgia, giving up two runs in one inning before being removed in favor of Morgan Montemayor, who finished off the final six innings.
The Sun Devils got all the runs they'd need in the first inning. Alix Johnson reached on a walk and advanced on a stolen base, and after a flyout by Cheyenne Coyle, Amber Freeman continued her torrid postseason with a pop fly ball dropped in between the Georgia shortstop and center fielder and allowed Johnson to score.
Haley Steele followed with a line-drive double down the left-field line that plated Freeman and gave ASU an early 2-0 lead.
The Bulldogs replaced Wilkinson with Montemayor to start the second inning, and the junior shut down the Sun Devils for the remainder of the game. Montemayor gave up just four hits with no walks and no runs in six inning of action.
But Escobedo was too much for Georgia to overcome, with ASU moving on to host a Super Regional next weekend.
