BATON ROUGE, La. -- It took two rain relays and a late rally but the No. 21 Arizona State softball team came back from a 2-0 deficit to defeat Nebraska, 5-2, in the opening game of the Baton Rouge Regional on Friday in Baton Rouge, La., to open the 2015 NCAA Tournament.
The start of the game was delayed approximately one hour due to rain and a second delay came immediately after Nebraska had scored the game's first run to take a 1-0 lead in the top of the sixth inning due to lightning. A heavy swell of rain would delay the game for almost another hour and Nebraska (34-22) came out of the break with a single to take a 2-0 lead and force the Sun Devils (35-20) into a familiar late-inning rally position.
The third time was the charm for the Sun Devils, who stranded the bases loaded twice early in the game before Bethany Kemp came to the plate in the bottom of the sixth and knocked a base-clearing double with the bases juiced to give ASU a 4-2 lead.
ASU would bring another across on Amber Freeman's RBI single on the next at bat for a 5-2 advantage it wouldn't relinquish.
True freshman RHP Breanna Macha did the rest, making her first career postseason appearance and pitching a gem of a performance. The frosh scattered five hits over seven innings with three strikeouts and no walks and held a Cornhusker offense that was averaging close to seven runs a game to just two runs in her complete game performance.
A game that, on paper, looked like it would be a slugfest was anything but as the pitcher's dominated the action early. Macha (17-11) retired the first nine batters she faced before Kiki Stokes ran out a bunt single. But the frosh retired the NU 2-3-4 hitters after that to escape without any damage done.
With the victory, ASU advances to play in the winner's side of the bracket of the regional against either host and No. 5-seed LSU or Texas Southern at 9 a.m. Saturday on ESPN.
ASU picked up its 11th straight win over Nebraska and improved to 4-3 over the Huskers in postseason matchups.
ASU loaded the bases in the first inning behind three walks with only one out but a strikeout and groundout ended the threat. The Sun Devils would again load the bases in on three walks in the bottom of the fourth with one out and again couldn't take advantage and the only offensive highlight came on an Elizabeth Caporuscio single in the second.
The Huskers finally broke through against Macha in the top of the sixth as Laura Barrow led off with a single and advanced on a Stokes single. The two moved to second and third on a wild pitch and Barrow scored on Alicia Armstrong's sacrifice fly that was immediately followed by the second weather delay of the day.
After a 57-minute delay, Nebraska immediately jump on Macha with an RBI single to give Nebraska a 2-0 lead.
Caporuscio drew a one out walk and pinch-runner Abby Spiel would score on the very next at-bat as Armstrong's attempt at the fielder's choice to second sailed into foul territory to allow Spiel to score from first and Girard to move to third.
A Jennifer Soria lineout was the second out of the inning but Sierra Rodriguez wore one on the thigh and Chelsea Gonzales walked to load the bases for Kemp. Kemp -- who was recently voted the Most Clutch Performer by her teammates -- responded to the accolades with a base clearing double off the wall in right field to give ASU a 4-2 lead.
Freeman singled on the following play to bring Kemp across and ASU took a lead it wouldn't give up. After a leadoff single in the top of the seventh, Macha notched fielder's choice and got a double play to end the game and advance ASU to the winner's bracket game tomorrow.
A Saturday morning win advances ASU to play on Sunday and a chance to advance to the Super Regional Round. A loss leads to playing in an elimination game at 2 p.m. Saturday.
