(Photo: Susan Wong/WCSN)
In the first two contests of the final weekend of play before the PAC-12 schedule begins next week, No. 17 ASU softball (17-7) split with a dominant 12-0 win over Wright State Thursday night, followed by a 2-0 loss at the hands of New Mexico State. These two games showcased a troubling up and down trend the Sun Devils have dealt with over the past few weeks. The streaky offense allows for frequent fireworks, but leaves some stability to be desired.
Thursday night featured a party at Farrington, a style of game ASU softball fans have come to expect from the 2020 squad against far inferior opponents. The Sun Devils’ offense smacked four home runs en route to the 12-0 run rule defeat, riding a nearly flawless performance from Samantha Mejia in the circle. The four bombs put the team total at an impressive 50, good for first in the nation. Sophomore Makenna Harper launched a first inning grand slam for her first career home run, while Maddi Hackbarth, Jazmine Hill and Denae Chatman added blasts of their own.
While the Sun Devils have enjoyed an embarassment of riches in the long ball department thus far, offense has been hard to come by when the ball is not leaving the yard. This was on display during Friday’s showdown against New Mexico State, when ASU was shut out by NMSU pitcher Analise De La Roca. Although the Sun Devils threatened multiple times, they failed to push a run across in the 2-0 loss. Doubles from Kindra and Maddi Hackbarth, Bella Loomis and Denae Chatman were wasted.
“We didn’t come ready for the game today,” head coach Trisha Ford said. “This is not ASU softball.”
Junior Madison Preston took a tough loss, going five innings and allowing both runs. An unearned fourth inning NMSU run was all the Aggies would need, and another in the fifth ended the scoring in what turned out to be a quick low scoring affair between two teams with high caliber offenses.
The two day split puts the Sun Devils at 17-7, with three games remaining over the next two days to round out the Sun Devil invitational. ASU will head to Westwood, California next weekend to open PAC-12 play with a three game set at UCLA. The defending national runners-up will surely be a litmus test for an ASU squad aspiring to be on that level come May.
