(Photo: Liesl Babicka/WCSN)
Despite a heroic home run from Marisa Stankiewicz in the seventh inning, the Arizona Wildcats didn’t back down as they put up two runs in the eighth to claim the series with a 4-2 win over the Sun Devils.
No. 8 Arizona State now drops to 35-9 on the season and in Pac-12 play they are now 9-6 after their series loss. Following the loss, head coach Trisha Ford embraced the tough time as a vital element going forward in the rest of the season.
“The feeling that you have right now, if it doesn’t motivate you, then you shouldn’t be playing this game,” Ford said. “It’s a gut check. I’m confident in them. It’s going to be a battle.”
The game started with a quick pace when Kindra Hackbarth led off with a double down the left field line. After Arizona pitcher Taylor McQuillin threw a wild pitch moving Hackbarth to third base, Jade Gortarez beat out an infield grounder and Hackbarth came across home plate to give the Sun Devils an early 1-0 edge.
The lone run lasted all the way until the sixth inning when Pac-12 homerun leader Alyssa Palomino crushed a two-run home run to give the Wildcats a 2-1 advtantage.
Prior to Palomino’s home run, pinch-hitter Ashleigh Hughes got drilled by an inside pitch, a controversial call because those in the stands believed that the ball hit the bat and not Hughes. She ended up on first and then stole second before Palomino hit her home run to centerfield.
ASU had only one inning to bring themselves back into the game. In a spirited battle at the dish, Stankiewicz remained calm at the plate to then hit the game-tying home run to leadoff the bottom of the seventh inning. Her home run forced the game into extra innings.
The Wildcats quickly retaliated in the top of the eighth inning. With two runners on, Jessie Harper laced a single to center field bringing home both runners to take a 4-2 lead.
The Sun Devils fought back, but the offense couldn’t string together any hits after Morgan Howe singled to right field. Taylor McQuillin shut the door and Arizona took the Territorial Cup in the closely-contested, hard-fought series.
“Every team is going to be hard. We can’t take anyone lightly,” Howe said. “G threw a great game both days. Unfortunately, the offense could not get it done for her today.”
Sun Devil ace Giselle “G” Juarez went the distance in the circle, pitching all eight innings and allowing four runs on eight hits. The sophomore southpaw enjoyed throwing with the packed crowds of Farrington Stadium in the series.
“We love having our fans out here, especially during this kind of game and rivalry,” Juarez said. “It’s why we are here.”
Despite the home run that Stankiewicz had to tie the game late, the redshirt senior did not end things on the note she wanted to with ASU’s rivals.
“This taste of losing – we are not accustomed to it,” Stankiewicz said. “I think that once we taste it right now, we are going to flip the page and only get better from here.”
The Sun Devils look to shake off the defeat and keep their heads high as they travel to Utah to square off with the Utes in a three-game series this weekend.
