Sun Devils Down Alumni, 8-2

TEMPE – Facing the two greatest pitchers in the history of Sun Devil softball and some shady coaching tactics by the opposition, it could have been expected that the current Arizona State University softball roster might struggle to put runs on the board in its annual Alumni Game on Friday in Tempe.

The current Devils were having none of it, however, cruising 8-2 victory over some of the great players to ever grace the field at Farrington Stadium over the last four decades.

Bethany Kemp and Elizabeth Caporuscio each had home runs for the current Devils while Breanna Macha and Dale Ryndak did their part in the circle, holding the alumni to just four hits.

The Devils were tasked with finding a way to score runs off of the legendary Katie Burkhart and Dallas Escobedo, respectively the winning pitchers on the 2008 and 2011 national championship rosters. The duo ranks first and second in ASU history in both wins and strikeouts and will go down in the record books as two of the best pitchers to ever play the game.

Additionally, the Devils had to deal with an ever-growing number of defensive players on the field that increased each inning – starting with an extra outfielder in the first inning and finished with about 20 some-odd alumni playing defense in the sixth.

Escobedo, a 2014 graduate who has spent much of the past three seasons with many of the current Sun Devils, served up Kemp with a hot pastrami sandwich to open up the bottom of the second inning.  Kemp repaid her in kind by sending the offering over the scoreboard in left field for an early 1-0 lead for the current Sun Devils.

The alumni rallied in the top of the third taking advantage of an leadoff error to bring a player around an even things at one apiece.

The long ball proved to be the best way to overcome the questionable tactics of the alumni defense, however, as Caporuscio answered the score with a two-run jack in the bottom half of the inning off of Burkhart to take a 3-1 lead and the Sun Devils never looked back.   

The Sun Devils would add four more runs in the bottom of the fifth to blow the game open, keyed by a two-RBI Kemp double and a Dani Nelson pinch hint single down the right field line.

ASU continues its Fall Ball schedule on Tuesday, Oct. 21 against Central Arizona College at 6 p.m. PT.  Admission to all Fall Games is free to the public.