(Photo: Marlee Smith/WCSN)
Kindra Hackbarth is the face of ASU softball. Playing center field and leading off for a talented lineup, the senior reminded everyone Sunday why she makes the Sun Devil offense go. Hackbarth deposited a fastball from Stanford starter Nikki Bauer just beyond the left field wall at Farrington to lead off the home half of the first. It was her ninth homer of the year, and the first of three ASU solo shots on the afternoon.
The No. 13 Sun Devils supplemented the long ball with a stellar pitching performance from Lindsay Lopez on their way to a series clinching 4-2 victory over Stanford in Tempe.
“Overall I thought we did a good job this weekend. We bounced back from a poor performance Friday night,” Trisha Ford said. “I thought we put together good at bats and competed. We’ll have a good week to rest and prepare this week.”
Hackbarth’s leadoff four bagger was all the support that Lindsay Lopez needed. In a dominant performance, the sophomore tossed a complete game, with Stanford’s only two runs coming in the seventh inning. Lopez surrendered four hits on the day, striking out one Cardinal batter and walking one. She lowered her ERA to a team best 2.58 in her 88 innings pitched.
“Lindsay was cruising today,” senior catcher Maddi Hackbarth said. “All her pitches were working and she was just doing what Lindsay Lopez does.”
Lopez’s outing was a welcome sight for coach Ford.
“I thought she responded well today coming off Friday night,” Trisha Ford said. “Her and I had a good talk before today’s game, and I thought she did a great job commanding the zone and owning the inside of the plate.”
Sophomore Jazmine Hill and fifth year Maddi Hackbarth also got in on the home run party Sunday, as both blasted solo shots of their own in the third and fifth innings. Hill, who belted a walkoff homer to give ASU the win Saturday night, enjoyed a successful weekend series in which she recorded six hits, three of which went for extra bases.
“It’s really important that everyone’s seeing the ball well,” Maddi Hackbarth said. “It’s huge confidence booster not just for our offense but for our pitching staff as well, to know they’ll have solid run support.”
ASU will enjoy a clean slate this week as they prepare to host rival Arizona next weekend at Farrington. The Wildcats are a consensus top 10 squad, and the navy blue and red always brings heightened stakes in Tempe.
“I’m very excited to be hosting Arizona this year,” Hackbarth said. “I can’t wait to see what our team brings into a rivalry weekend, and it’s my last time seeing them so I know it will be intense.”
Ford knows next week will bring a myriad of challenges, and wants to make sure her team’s focus isn’t led astray.
“It’s going to be important for us to not worry about who’s in the other dugout,” Ford said. “Our focus this week is going to be on ourselves, working pitch by pitch and really get their horse blinders on, worrying about ourselves and not who we’re playing.”
