Donnenwirth pushes softball's winning streak to 20
Dallas Escobedo’s career-high 16 strikeouts and a .500 day at the plate from Krista Donnenwirth blazed the trail for the No. 7 ASU Softball team who topped Weber State 12-0 (5) and Virginia Tech 10-3 to close out the Diamond Devil Invitational and keep their winning streak alive at 20 games. Mackenzie Popescue took the win over WSU to move to 7-1 while Escobedo moved to 11-0 on the year as ASU holds at 24-1.
Game one versus the Weber State Wildcats saw Mackenzie Popescue come out to throw the complete game shutout with only six WSU players dusting a base with their cleats as the Sun Devil offense went to work straightaway in the first as they put one on with an RBI double from Krista Donnenwirth before adding three more in the third as Donnenwirth struck again with a three run shot to right center to make it 4-0.
Everyone joined the fun in the fourth inning as the Sun Devils put some sky rockets in flight to create some afternoon delight with eight runs getting slapped onto the board as nearly everyone put a hit on the board as well to roll to a 12-0 win for Popescue’s seventh win in her career.
Game two slated the Sun Devils against the Virginia Tech Hokies for the first time since 2006 where the Hokies topped ASU in extra innings. The Hokies looked to give a fight though as their lead-off batter Kat Banks took the third pitch of the game yard to give VT a 1-0 lead. An RBI double added a run to the VT tally as they held a 2-0 lead after the first inning.
While the Sun Devil offense looked sluggish in the first couple innings, they came out to play in the third as seven runs later saw ASU plaster seven on the board with two-RBI hits from Lesley Rogers, Krista Donnenwirth and Kaylyn Castillo playing the money-makers in that inning as ASU jumped ahead 7-3.
The Hokies put some pep in their step in the sixth as they added another run to the score as an RBI single from Betty Rose gave VT their third run of the game to make it 7-3. The Sun Devils retaliated again though in the sixth inning as Lesley Rogers dug in to bases loaded to clear ‘em all off with a double to right center as it pulled the score to 10-3 where it would it would rest as Dallas Escobedo took the reigns to strike out 16 in the outing for her career high.
The Sun Devils will return to Farrington Stadium again on Tuesday when they host Western Illinois in a double-header starting at 5 p.m.