(Stillwater, OK) The second day of the 15th Annual OSU Mizuno Classic resulted in a split for No. 22 Sun Devil softball. Arizona State started the day with a 4-3 loss to Minnesota before coming back to defeat UCF 6-0 in the nightcap.
GAME 1: Minnesota 4, Arizona State 3
Arizona State limited Minnesota to five hits, but three were home runs that proved to be the difference in the decision. The top three in the Sun Devils lineup each had two hits, including a three-run home run from Jazmyn Rollin. Kylee Magee started in the circle and threw three scoreless innings with three strikeouts.
HOW IT HAPPENED
After two hitless innings, Magee worked around a leadoff double and wild pitch to strand the Golden Gophers potential first run at third.
Yanni Acuña and Alexa Milius tallied one-out singles in the ASU third and then Rollin hit a first-pitch home run to right center to give the Sun Devils their first lead of the weekend.
Minnesota quickly countered with a pair of home runs in the top of the fourth to tie the game at 3-3.
The Sun Devils had a pair of runners on in the bottom of the fourth, but they were unable to bring one home.
Minnesota took the lead with a home run off the top of the fence in left to start the seventh inning.
Yaya Acuña singled as a pinch-hitter to start the ASU seventh, but she was called for obstruction on a Savannah Price groundout.
Yanni Acuña then singled to extend the inning before Milius popped out to end the game.
GAME 2: Arizona State 6, UCF 0
Mac Osborne dominated the Knights from the circle allowing four hits with seven strikeouts in recording her third complete game shutout of the season. She only faced three at bats with runners in scoring position and retired 16 of 17 batters during one stretch. Yanni Acuña reached base all four times she came to the plate with a pair of hits and two RBIs.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Rollin helped the Sun Devils keep UCF off the board by throwing a runner out at the plate to end the top of the first inning.
Yanni Acuña and Milius had back-to-back singles leading off the bottom of the frame to set up the first run on a single from Rollin.
Osborne retired eight straight in the second through fourth innings before stranding a runner at third after allowing a double and wild pitch.
Jordyn VanHook and Jazmine Hill walked to start the ASU fourth and a single from Sara Kinch loaded the bases with nobody out.
Shannon Cunningham delivered a two-run pinch-hit single to right to open a 3-0 advantage.
After a fourth run scored on a wild pitch, Yanni Acuña knocked in two with a single to center to cap the scoring.
Two quick innings followed to lead into the seventh where UCF loaded the bases with a single, errors and a walk with two outs. Osborne forced a groundout to end the game.
UP NEXT
The Sun Devils will return to Pac-12 play next weekend when they travel to Berkeley, Calif., to face the Cal Bears. All three games of the series that starts on Friday will be on the Pac-12 Network.
Press Release courtesy of Sun Devil Athletics – Josh Fisher
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