Softball closes Diamond Devil Invite with win over New Mexico State
Alix Johnson rocketed the first Arizona State softball grand slam of the season to secure the 11-5 (6) victory over the New Mexico State Aggies, March 11.
The Devils are 25-2 after sweeping the Diamond Devil Invitational, which saw 10 home runs through four games of play.
Johnson went 5-10 on the weekend with six RBI, four of which came over the Aggies (16-12). Katelyn Boyd saw two home runs of her own through the tournament, going 6-12 in the invitational.
Back-to-back doubles from Valerie Swedberg and Kristi Covarrubia and a groundout from Kelsey Dodd gave the Aggies the first two runs of the game. Amber Freeman cut the lead to one, 2-1, after plating Johnson on a base hit in the bottom of the frame.
Katelyn Boyd hit a monster three-run homer in the bottom of the second to boost the Devils 4-2 over New Mexico State. The rocket was her 11th home run of the year and her second on the weekend alone.
Tehani Kaaihue scored on a bases-loaded hit by pitch to notch another run for New Mexico State in the third and Haley Steele answered with her fifth long-yarder of the season drilled down the left field line.
Designated hitter Kelsey Dodd put one past the fence in the fourth that threw two Aggie runs on the board and tied the score at 5-5. But ASU regained the lead when Boyd came around from second on a Johnson single to center field. Johnson came around two at-bats later thanks to Elizabeth Caporuscio to make it 7-2.
The lead widened dramatically in the fifth inning when, on a bases-loaded 3-1 count, Johnson launched her first career grand slam. The Devils batted around the order in the fifth inning and Steele walked in another run to pull the score to 12-5.
Annie Lockwood nabbed the mercy-rule win for ASU with an RBI single to left field for the final score of 13-5.
Hillary Bach earned the win after coming into the game in the third inning for Mackenzie Popescue and is now 11-0 on the year. Popescue pitch 2.2 innings with one strikeout. Aggies pitcher Alex Newman records the loss and falls to 8-8.
Arizona State hits the road next weekend for their final tournament of the non-conference season with the Judi Garman Classic in Fullerton, Calif.