TEMPE, Ariz. – No. 9 Arizona State (11-2) used a pair of five-run innings to take down visiting UCSB (5-10) in a 10-2 mercy win on Thursday evening at Farrington Stadium.
ASU got on the scoreboard early in the bottom of the first inning when Krista Donnenwirth hit a two-run homer over the right center field fence. A two-RBI single by Caylyn Carlson and a bases loaded walk by Lesley Rogers brought the Sun Devil lead to 5-0 at the end of the first inning.
Sophomore pitcher Krista Cobb was able to limit ASU to just two hits over the next three innings and at the top of the fifth, the Gauchos were finally able to break through the Sun Devil defense.
With one out in the fifth, a pitch hit Priscilla Perez and an infield single by Tiffany Corder put two runners on-base. Jamie Adishian grounded out to third base during the ensuing at-bat and Corder and pinch runner Jackie Sweet were able to advance a base on the play. A timely single to center field by Jessica Ziegler drove Sweet home and Corder was also able to score when the Sun Devil center fielder made an error on the play.
Trailing by just three runs, it looked like the Gauchos had climbed their way back into the game. Unfortunately, another Arizona State onslaught was on its way.
Sam Parlich led off at the bottom of the fifth with a single to center field and one out later, she advanced to second base on a wild pitch. Cobb struck out the next batter looking, but she would never get the third out.
Parlich stole third during the next at-bat and was then driven home by Carlson’s double to right field. Pinch hitter Christina Zambrana followed with a two-run homer to center field, stretching the ASU lead to 8-2. Rogers earned her second walk of the game before Katelyn Boyd hit the game-ending home run over the left center field fence.
Senior Lindsey Correa (1-4), who started the game, took the loss after tossing 0.2 innings. She allowed five runs – two earned – on two hits while walking four. Cobb allowed five runs on six hits in four innings of work. She walked four and struck out three. Ziegler led the Gauchos offensively going 2-for-3 with an RBI.
The Gauchos will open action at the Wilson/DeMarini Invitational on Friday against Creighton at 10 am and Idaho State at noon. The tournament will run Friday through Sunday at the Sun Devils’ Farrington Stadium.
