(Photo: Nicholas Badders/WCSN)
Riding two home runs and a strong performance from the circle, Arizona State defeated the Ole Miss Rebels 7-1 on Saturday to advance to its regional final.
ASU has been very successful in games where it limits errors and scores early. They did both on Saturday, looking stronger than in the prior day’s 2-0 win over NMSU.
“Yesterday I said we have to hit harder and we hit harder today,” ASU coach Trisha Ford said. “Great at-bats in the box every inning. We executed our game.”
The Sun Devils got the scoring started in the infield. In the second inning, a double by Jade Gortarez scored Morgan Howe, giving the Devils the lead. The Devils added another run in the third, a play which set the tone of the game.
A two-out single to shortstop by Howe turned into a chaotic play and a close call by the officials. Ole Miss second baseman Dylinn Stancil jumped for the ball at second and nearly tagged the base before Bella Loomis could make it. She then fired the ball home as Taylor Becerra rounded third and made a break for home. Becerra was called safe by the home umpire but out by the other official. After a lengthy discussion amongst each other and both coaches, she was awarded the run.
Throughout the game, Ole Miss coach Mike Smith had frequent infield meetings and debates with the umpire crew. After the game, he mentioned an important step he feels the NCAA needs to take to better the game.
“There’s no instant replay in the game,” Smith said. “I think we need it. Our game is too fast. There’s too much at stake. I think we need to add that to our game right now.”
The Sun Devils, speaking from the winning side of those debated calls, took a different view. Starting pitcher Breanna Macha said that the dugout is just trying to stay loose and energized during the stoppages.
Defensively, ASU played a clean game with the exception of an early error by Loomis. Macha pitched a complete seven innings, carrying a shutout through six before a dinger from Abbey Latham. She finished with three hits, one walk and nine strikeouts.
Macha relied heavily on her change-up, consistently challenging the Rebels’ batters to swing at it. Smith observed that his Ole Miss squad tried too hard to hit long balls off the changeup, rather than simply get on base. For Macha, the breakout of that pitch has been a long time coming.
“These past couple of weeks we’ve really worked on the change-up,” Macha said/ “Just getting it goo and talking with coach. We had a great week of preparation and I think that just goes to show when we put in our work, we can play our game.”
The Devils began to pour in the runs in the fourth. Kindra Hackbarth fired a three-run dinger in what felt like the gut punch against the Rebels. Marisa Stankiewicz would add a dinger of her own in the fifth as ASU put an exclamation point on its victory.
ASU put on a strong offensive performance without its top hitter. After her first at-bat, freshman standout Danielle Gibson limped off the field and did not return. Ford said that Gibson is fine but that she felt good with Loomis and Stankiewicz staying where they were.
The win serves as a bit of revenge for the Sun Devils, who were shutout by the Rebels last postseason. While a good feeling, the team is focused on getting even with Ole Miss by clearing the region in the final game.
“Sunday will be rewarding, not today,” Ford said.
ASU can secure its region tomorrow at 6:30 p.m., where they’ll face either NMSU again or the Long Beach 49ers.
