Softball opens Garman Classic with win over New Meixco

Back-to-back home runs from Kaitlin Cochran and Katelyn Boyd as well as RBI hits from Krista Donnenwirth and Caylyn Carlson spelled the story Thursday morning as the sixth-ranked ASU Softball team took a 6-3 win over the New Mexico Lobos to open the Judi Garman Classic. ASU is now 22-4 overall while New Mexico drops to 8-11.

The Sun Devils got to work right out of the gates as a fielder’s choice and a Lobo error put Lesley Rogers and Kaitlin Cochran on-base where a single to right center from Krista Donnenwirth and a fielder’s choice RBI from Caylyn Carlson brought them home to take two in the opening inning.

The Lobos stormed back in the fifth inning as three singles to lead-off the inning found Megan Elliott in a jam which she was almost able to pitch out of with just one run on her tab as she grabbed a strikeout and ground out, but a single to right field to plate two more RBIs saw New Mexico surge ahead 3-2.

ASU took it personal in the bottom of the inning, as four straight hits with back-to-back home runs to right center from Kaitlin Cochran and Katelyn Boyd set things right in the Sun Devils’ world as they regained the lead 6-3 after five complete. Another jam in the fifth saw Hillary Bach come in for relief where she quickly snagged a double play and strikeout to silence the Lobo rally. Bach ripped through the rest of the seventh to complete the save and the win.

The Sun Devils return to action tomorrow as the Judi Garman Classic continues, facing No. 23 DePaul at 11 a.m. and Nebraska at 1 p.m. on Field Two at the Anderson Family Softball Complex in Fullerton, Calif.