By Scott Mammoser
April 13, 2018
TEMPE, Ariz. - After what began as a classic pitchers’ duel
for the first four innings, the No. 3 Oregon softball team outlasted No. 7
Arizona State, 5-0, on Friday night at Farrington Stadium. Both teams now stand
at 33-6, with the Ducks (8-2) one game ahead of ASU (7-3) in the Pacific-12
Conference.
Oregon shortstop DJ Sanders scored in the top of the fifth
after throwing interference at first base. Then, centerfielder Shannon Rhodes scored
Alexis Mack from second base, but she was then thrown out at second herself to
end the inning.
As the wind speed picked up around the ballpark, freshman
designated player Mary Iakopo smashed a two-run home run to right to score Gwen
Skevis. Skevis reached third on the previous play when two Sun Devil fielders
collided trying to make the catch. Jenna Lilley added a solo shot in the top of
the seventh for insurance.
Oregon junior Megan Kleist, who has a 0.87 ERA and 13-4
record on the season, fanned 10 batters, while ASU sophomore Giselle Juarez
retired five from the mound.
“That’s sometimes that’s just how the ball goes, and they
got lucky on a few pitches,” Juarez said. “It (the high wind) shouldn’t be a
factor, but sometimes it just takes the ball, and it kept taking it on us and
not them.”
ASU coach Trisha Ford remains confident in her ace, who
despite the loss is a brilliant 17-2 on the season.
“She still threw well, we need to put up some runs for her,”
Ford said. “She threw pitches when we needed her to make some big pitches, and
she’s going to learn a lot. I’m excited to see what she’s going to look like on
Sunday. I think she’ll respond really well, I have a lot of faith in that kid;
she’s been our horse and responded in these types of situations before. My
money is always on her.”
This was the second time the Sun Devils were shut out this
season, joining a 6-0 loss to No. 1 Washington on March 18. The series
continues at 7 p.m. on Saturday and noon on Sunday.
“We need to follow up every single inning and put runs on
the board,” said ASU freshman first baseman Danielle Gibson, who was 2-for-3 on
Friday. “We need to get runners on base in every single inning, and we didn’t
do that, as well. They fought harder than we did.”
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