TEMPE, Ariz. – The third-ranked Arizona State softball team came from behind in its tournament opener against Northern Iowa on Friday, getting a pair of runs in the seventh inning to pull out a 5-3 win. Later in the day, the Devils pulled away for a 9-2 victory over Michigan State.
ASU is now 9-0 on the year, with Dallas Escobedo improving to 6-0 after picking up a win in relief against Northern Iowa and another over Michigan State. Between the two games, the ASU pitching staff logged 20 strikeouts on the day.
Northern Iowa held ASU off the board through five innings, the longest the Devils had gone in a game this year without scoring. But ASU tied things up 3-3 in the sixth, then went ahead in the top of the seventh when Mary Spiel scored on a RBI single by Cheyenne Coyle and Amber Freeman plated Coyle to make it 5-3. Escobedo, who came on in relief of Mackenzie Popescue, struck out the last six batters she faced in the come-from-behind win.
She continued her dominance into the next game, striking out the first and third batters in the first three innings against Michigan State. Escobedo has 55 strikeouts thus far in 2013.
Elizabeth Caporuscio added home run against the Spartans, her first of the season and 17th of her career, moving the sophomore into a tie for 16th all-time at ASU with Alix Johnson.
Amber Freeman also homered -- a three-run shot in the sixth to help the Devils pull away -- and is tied for 18th in career home runs with 16.
ASU plays Illinois-Chicago at 3 p.m. Saturday and then takes on Illinois State at 5:15 p.m.
