TEMPE — Arizona softball lost a nail-biter to ASU on Friday—and their All-American center fielder to injury.
Alyssa Palomino-Cardoza grounded out with the bases loaded as the Sun Devils escaped with a 4-3 win, and she immediately crumbled to the ground after running through first base on the bang-bang play.
As ASU celebrated the win, APC clutched her knee for several minutes before being helped up and off the field by trainers. Stunned, the entire team stood and watched from the outfield grass. UA coaches and players were unavailable for comment, so there won’t be an update on APC’s status for at least another day.
Palomino-Cardoza has already torn both ACLs during her UA career—her right in 2016 and left in 2017.
I’m told Arizona players and coaches won’t be available for comment after tonight’s loss at ASU, so I won’t have an update on Alyssa Palomino-Cardoza’s injury.
But here’s another look at the play. Looks serious but hopefully it’s not. pic.twitter.com/dwXvSZppNV
— Ryan Kelapire (@RKelapire) April 17, 2021
Before the tragic ending, the Wildcats were mounting a rally. A single and double by Reyna Carranco and Dejah Mulipola put the tying run on third and the go-ahead run on second with one out.
The Sun Devils intentionally walked Jessie Harper to get to Sharlize Palacios despite her homering earlier the night. She struck out on a wicked offspeed pitch before APC’s groundout.
It’s ASU’s first win over the Wildcats in six tries. It also snaps UA’s 12-game winning streak.
ASU (26-10, 6-6) scored one run in each of the first four innings. UA starter Alyssa Denham allowed a solo homer in the first, an RBI double in the second and walked in a run in a third. She was relieved by Hanah Bowen, who got a strikeout to escape a bases loaded jam.
Palacios crushed a moonshot to left to bring Arizona within 3-2 in the fourth but Bella Loomis answered the bottom of the frame with a monster shot to left center.
Arizona (26-6, 6-3) got a run back in the sixth when Malia Martinez ripped a sacrifice fly to left. It could have done more damage but Makenna Harper, Jessie’s younger sister, stretched near the warning track to make an acrobatic grab for the second out.
Had it gotten past her, pinch runner Giulia Koutsoyanopulos might have been able to come all the way around from first to score the tying run.
The Wildcats left nine runners on base.
The teams will continue the series Saturday with a doubleheader that begins at 5 p.m. MST.
Leave a Reply