(Photo: Nicholas Badders/WCSN)
Over the weekend, the Arizona State Sun Devils opened up Pac-12 play by defeating Oregon State two of three matches over the weekend, both times showing the same offensive firepower they did in non-conference.
After getting off to a slow start, and losing their opening game 5-1, the Sun Devils turned things around quickly. ASU defeated OSU 18-2 on Saturday and 12-4 on Sunday, taking the series 2-1.
The Sun Devils are currently leading the nation in scoring, averaging just over eight runs per game. Their bats came alive again on Saturday evening as Morgan Howe and Kindra Hackbarth had three RBI and one home run. Starting pitcher Samantha Mejia pitched for six strikeouts and earned her 11th win of the season.
The Sun Devils offensive firepower continued, as they scored 12 runs on Sunday in five innings. After getting down 2-0 in the first inning, ASU got hot from behind the plate and never really looked back, pouring in nine runs in the second inning.
Freshman pitcher Abby Andersen struggled to start the game, but eventually found her groove pitching through 3 innings. Andersen made her Pac-12 debut and now moves to 12-4 as a starting pitcher with a 2.19 ERA on the season.
“My plan today was to go in more relaxed, to approach it in a more experienced way. I was more relaxed in the second inning… I always pitch better when I am more relaxed,” Andersen said.
Senior Skylar McCarty led the Sun Devils with three runs and two RBI on Saturday to go along with one more run and two more RBI on Sunday. The senior has become an integral part of Arizona State’s squad and responded strongly to the team’s first conference loss.
“We get down 2-0 in the first inning, our offense is strong so we don’t lose faith, it’s two runs, it is not the end of the world,” McCarty said. “There are other girls behind me who are always gonna get the job done.”
Arizona State has relied on its offense all season to maintain their standing and take control during big games. This weekend was no different, as the Sun Devils put up 31 runs in three days. Head coach Trish Ford believes confidence and working hard throughout the offseason has been the key to the Sun Devil’s success at the plate. Throughout the offseason, the team would simulate pressure situations at the plate, and they would be forced to hit with two outs or two strikes on the record. Ford believes those simulations have helped her team remain calm during games in the season.
“We’re capable of putting up crooked numbers a lot,” Ford said. “I am very confident a lead is not safe with this offense. Our offense is winning us these games. We’ve spent a lot of time putting them in some pressure situations. It’s been a point of focus.”
Looking ahead, the Sun Devils take this weekend in stride recognizing the Pac-12 is one of the most competitive conferences in the country, with four teams ranked in the Top 25. UCLA, Washington and Arizona are all ranked in the Top 10. Ford recognizes the challenges ahead but believes her team is more than ready to face them.
“I think they learned from Friday’s loss,” Ford said. “I talked to a lot of our veterans stating that it’s the same game no matter what. We are still very young at pitcher. So I want to see how they respond and I was very pleased with how they responded this weekend.”
The Sun Devils will return to Farrington Stadium to play at home against Utah on March 22 before going on the road to face their in-state rival, No. 8 Arizona.
