(Photo: Nicholas Badders/WCSN)
In a game that closely resembled the first, the Arizona State Sun Devils took a second victory over the No. 1 Washington Huskies, winning Monday’s rubber match 2-0.
As with Game 1, the only scoring came on a two-RBI double in the first inning, though this time freshman first baseman Danielle Gibson made the deciding hit. She launched a ball along the right field line that stayed fair by mere inches, allowing Nichole Chilson and Morgan Howe to score.
“I thought I hit pretty well for my first and third at-bats,” Gibson said “I was seeing the ball good out of her hand and just kept the same mindset: See ball, hit ball.”
Both sides brought out the strongest pitching they had for the deciding game. Huskies junior Taran Alvelo pitched a complete game in Washington’s Game 2 victory, striking out 11 while giving up no runs and no walks. On the other side, ASU starter “G” Juarez dealt an 11-strikeout shutout on Saturday.
Juarez, now Pac-12 Pitcher of the Week for the second consecutive time, threw eight strikeouts, no walks and carried a no-hitter into the sixth inning. Even after seeing her just two days earlier, Washington could not get a handle on ASU’s sophomore lefty.
“There’s not one ball that is straight,” ASU coach Trisha Ford said. “She can throw her rise at different levels. She’s effectively wild. She has a good off-speed this year which she didn’t have last year. She really does a good job of blending her pitches. All of her pitches come out of the chute looking the same and then they split.”
Juarez has not allowed a run in 58 innings pitched. In Monday’s outing, she threw 76 strikes out of 100 total pitches. Alvelo was not far behind, tossing 68 strikes on 94 throws with six strikeouts and one walk.
Behind Juarez, ASU played a much cleaner game than in Sunday’s 7-0 loss, where four errors swung the early momentum and therefore the game in Washington’s favor. Ford said “you could call it talking” when asked if she and the team discussed the defensive miscues in that game.
This time, the Devils’ defense turned momentum in their favor, catching difficult foul outs and throwing much more accurately than the previous day.
In the sixth, Washington broke the no-hitter and started to pick up steam, but ASU took it right back. Catcher Maddi Hackbarth caught Washington’s Trysten Melhart stealing second immediately after a strikeout, shutting down what looked like the Huskies’ best chance.
“[The momentum] stayed on our side the entire time,” Juarez said. “That throw was huge and she made a fantastic throw. I got so pumped afterwards I came up and gave her a big hug.”
With a 22-3 non-conference record, this Sun Devil team already had bought into itself as a special team. Now, after starting off Pac-12 play with two shutouts over the nation’s top team, the feeling is growing even stronger.
“We have a great team,” Juarez said. “We all love each other and play for each other. I think that’s one of the biggest things this year. We love playing behind each other. We’re just excited and we’re pumped because we know we have some special here.”
The Devils certainly have reason to proud, but getting it done in the Pac-12 is not something they’ll only have to do once. It’s a week-in, week-out battle, and teams are catching onto the fact that ASU is just as confident, and apparently just as good, as any squad in the conference.
“They’re starting to see what we’ve been seeing from a coaching standpoint,” Ford said. “If we put it together and we play well, we can beat whoever we want to. It’s not about who’s on the other side of the dugout. It’s about what we are, who we are, how we play this game and how we execute.”
ASU will now travel for the first time since Feb. 22 for a series against the Cal Golden Bears, starting Friday at 3:00 p.m.
