The Sun Devils finished off another busy weekend in walk-off fashion, closing their two-game series against Oklahoma with a win. Bethany Kemp played the hero in this one, lifting the Sun Devils with a game-ending grand slam in the bottom of the seventh, giving ASU the 8-4 victory.
Dale Ryndak played a big role in the win, holding a potent Oklahoma offense to just four runs on eight hits. It was a big-time outing for the first-year player as she proved she can hold her own against some of the best in the country.
The Sooners countered with junior Kelsey Stevens, who has gotten off to a rocky start to the season, giving up nine runs in just 14 2/3 innings pitched so far.
ASU nearly got to Stevens right out of the gate, putting runners on second and third after a couple of walks in the bottom of the first. But with one out and runners in scoring position, Amber Freeman and Bethany Kemp were retired on a pair of weak fly balls to get the Sooners out of the jam.
Sierra Rodriguez opened up the scoring in the second inning with a three-run bomb over the right center field wall. The homer was her first of the young season and gave ASU a big 3-0 lead early on.
Ryndak got into her first bit of trouble in the third inning with the bases loaded, one out, and the top of the Sooner lineup due to bat. But she navigated out of danger without allowing much, giving up just one run on a sacrifice fly from Shelby Pendley before finishing off the side on a weak fly ball to center field hit by Erin Miller.
Stevens didn’t give up a hit after the second inning, but was relieved by Jessica Vest following a walk of Sierra Rodriguez to start the bottom of the fifth. Rodriguez would later score on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Haley Steele, extending the ASU lead 4-1.
The Sooners responded quickly in the top of the sixth when Whitney Ellis roped a double into the gap in left center, scoring Shelby Pendley and cutting the lead to two runs. Oklahoma tied the ballgame at four runs apiece later in the inning after an RBI groundout from Callie Parsons and a 2-out, run-scoring single hit by Kelsey Arnold.
Ryndak didn’t allow the Sooners to get ahead in the top of the sixth, finishing off the side with a strikeout of Nicole Pendley but the damage had already been done with OU erasing the Sun Devils’ three-run lead.
Ryndak was back at it in the top of the seventh, finishing the complete game and setting up a fantastic bottom-of-the-inning ending.
Allie Butterfield walked to start the inning and then advanced to second on a Rodriguez groundout. Butterfield ended up on third after yet another groundout, and following intentional walks to Steele and Freeman, Kemp strode to the dish. She sent the first pitch she saw over the left field wall, sealing the deal with a walk-off grand slam and an 8-4 Sun Devil victory.
ASU’s record advances to 8-4 on the year as they finished the weekend with a bang, and a huge win over a Top-5 team.
