Softball coach Inouye-Perez made the unfathomable decision to
intentionally walk Arizona State's lead off batter in the first inning.
And again in the third. And again in the fifth. It was the same
player each time: ASU slugger Kaitlin Cochran.
The Sun Devils subsequently loaded the bases in the first, but did
not score. However, as a direct result of the intentional walks, all
hell broke loose in the third and fifth.
Angelica Selden is a first team All-American, but she was undermined
by her head coach; and the team must have felt somewhat dismissed.
I coached softball for nine years, and one of the things I ardently
stressed was getting the first batter OUT every inning.
I am aware of Cochran's stats - but what if the dear girl was nervous,
or playing on a sour stomach, or simply NOT a mismatch for Selden?
It was an embarrassment.