(WCSN Photo/Marlee Smith)
For the second time in three at-bats, Maddi Hackbarth tossed her bat, took a hop and a skip toward first base and broke into her signature slow trot.
The fifth-year senior admired her 12th blast of the year, a three-run shot that broke the game open, as it soared past the palm trees in right field, giving Arizona State (17-1) a 7-2 fourth-inning lead that it would not give back. The Sun Devils used their tried and true formula of pitching, defense, and timely big hitting to take down Baylor 7-4 Thursday night at Farrington Stadium.
“I just wanted to get a good pitch and put a barrel on it,” Hackbarth said. “We have been practicing hitting high velocity all week so I felt like I was ready for that and was able to drive the ball.”
The tone was set early on, when the Bears wasted no time greeting ASU starting pitcher and freshman Allison Royalty in the top of the first. Leadoff hitter Nicky Dawson slapped a triple into the gap on the game’s second pitch. Following a strikeout, Dawson scampered home when a Royalty fastball sailed to the screen.
As has been the case all season long, the Sun Devils didn’t wait long to respond. With two outs and nobody on in the home half of the frame, Maddi Hackbarth did what she does best. By the time her first bomb of the night landed far beyond the center field wall, the game was tied.
“I think I am as locked in as I ever have been right now,” Hackbarth continued. “I give a lot of credit to coach (Jeff) Harger. He has the whole team in a really good place. We’re savages. We’re in there to do some damage.”
Her head coach was quick to praise her.
“I like to recruit girls that work hard and love softball, and Maddi is both of those things” ASU head coach Trisha Ford said. “I always expect her to bring it, but I’ve never seen anything like this.”
Royalty and Baylor starter Gia Rodino yielded a run each before ASU broke the game open in the fourth. Following a four pitch walk to senior Denae Chatman, junior Makenna Harper laced a single to left field. Junior Brittany Holland played small ball, laying down a sac bunt and setting up senior Bella Loomis, who reached on an error. Chatman scored on the E6, putting ASU up for good. Senior Kindra Hackbarth then smacked a single up the middle, and sophomore Jazmine Hill drove in two with a double off the right center field wall. Like so many games this season, the flood gates were officially open when Maddi Hackbarth dug in for the knockout blow.
“Our communication between hitters has been amazing this season,” Hill said. “Maddi told me after her first homer that it was because of the information I gave her in hitting right before her, and that was cool.”
Baylor catcher Zadie Lavalley made things interesting in the seventh, belting a two run shot to right that ultimately forced Ford to call on senior Cielo Meza to get the game’s final out. Meza wasted no time, recording a looking strikeout to seal the win and move No. 11 ASU to 17-1.
“I think Royalty did a really good job locating tonight, better than she was in the Oklahoma game,” Ford said. “She’s upset with herself after giving up four runs, but she pitched a really good game. She’s going to keep getting better not just this year but in the future.”
Just one game remains before Pac-12 play, a rematch with this same Baylor team on Sunday morning. It will be the final tune up before the Sun Devils head to Los Angeles for a pivotal four-game series against No. 2 UCLA.
