(Photo: Joey Plishka/WCSN)
Arizona State found themselves heating up Farrington Stadium on a cool Friday afternoon in the desert. The barrels connected with the ball in the Sun Devils’ eighth run-rule victory of the season as they defeated the Aggies 10-0, boosting their record to 15-5.
Three balls left the yard, including a grand slam from senior outfielder Makenna Harper that gave the Sun Devils enough cushion to end the game after the top of the fifth inning.
Head coach Trisha Ford put Harper in left field, replacing junior Jazmyn Hill in the fourth. The outfielder took advantage with hopes to help push the lead.
“I have been going through a little bit of a slump, so (it) was just see ball, hit ball at that point,” Harper said. “I went up there with a little bit of anger, a chip on my shoulder… and it paid off, so I am really happy.”
Yanni Acuña rocked her third home run of the weekend with a 2-run shot into the beach volleyball courts behind the right field fence.
This 10-run game was only a taste of what Arizona State has been doing all season. The Sun Devils have safely touched home 126 times, averaging just over six runs per game.
ASU’s prolific offense and stifling defense has solidified them as the 23rd ranked team in the country.
Graduate transfer Marissa Schuld was tasked with the challenge to subdue the Aggies’ hot bats that just pushed around 11 runs in the game prior.
The right-hander overpowered the Aggies. Schuld threw 57 pitches, only 12 missed outside of the zone. She rifled in a first-pitch strike in 11 of the 15 batters she faced.
Transferring from the in-state rival Arizona as a midseason addition in 2021, Schuld has proven to be a successful pick up after sitting out last year due to in-conference transfer rules.
Arizona State quickly put runs on the board with a lead-off double from junior shortstop Alynah Torres. Acuña punched the ball up the middle for an RBI single. The momentum stuck as freshman first baseman Cydney Sanders scorched a double, putting two runners in scoring position for sophomore outfielder Emily Cazares to drive in the second run of the game.
Before sealing the deal in the fourth inning, Arizona State cleared the fence twice in the second. Home runs from Acuña and Hill pushed the lead to six.
The Aggies were unable to string anything together, stranding the only three hits of the contest on base.
With three games remaining in the Sun Devil Classic and a midweek match against Marist before conference play, coach Ford is looking for her squad to put a full weekend together.
“A couple of things we can tidy up is our defense, being able to make routine plays and not throwing at bats away,” coach Ford said. “I think those are two things that we’ve had some struggles with.”
Arizona State heads into the third day of the Sun Devil Classic with a clash against Rutgers Saturday at 2:30 p.m.
