(Photo: Marlee Smith/WCSN)
The Sun Devils scored early and often in a 9-1 dominant victory over visiting Seattle Friday night at Farrington Stadium in Tempe. ASU (3-0) used a four run first inning and a five run second to come away with the 4.5 inning mercy rule victory, their third win in two days to start the season.
“I think we really played some good Sun Devil Softball tonight,we came out relaxed and did a great job of hitting our pitches.” head coach Trisha Ford said. “I thought we did a great job getting Allison (Royalty) some runs and it helped her settle down early.”
Catcher Maddi Hackbarth was the star of a show that featured many highlights. Her 2nd inning solo blast cleared the scoreboard in left center, crashing onto the roof of the gymnastics facility well beyond the confines of Farrington. Hackbarth added a pair of doubles, one in the first and one in the third, before exiting the game due to the lopsided score.
“I’m not sure that ball has landed yet,” Ford said of Hackbarth’s bomb. She added with a laugh, “It hit the building!”
Hackbarth reflected on her home run following the game, but was quick to praise her replacement behind the dish, sophomore Macy Simmons.
“I think Macy is learning from me, and this year all three catchers get to work on what they need to,” she said. “I’m excited for her future when I’m gone.”
When asked about where her majestic blast ranks in terms of personal best distance, Hackbarth referenced a previous shot that cleared the building in left.
“I’ve actually hit one that hit the top of the gymnastics building and kept going over,” the senior said with a smile. “This one felt good too though.”
If you’re a fan of two-run doubles, tonight was your night. The Sun Devils cranked four such knocks, accounting for eight of their nine runs. Following Maddi Hackbarth’s in the first, Denae Chatman, Jazmine Hill and Brittney Holland added 2 baggers of their own. This style of scoring runs without the frequent aid of the long ball will be key this year if ASU hopes to make a deep postseason run.
“I think it’s important that we get good pitches, we did a better job tonight of executing and identifying our pitches,” Ford said. “When they are feeling good they’re able to go to the opposite field, which is great.”
Freshman pitcher Allison Royalty was stellar in her first collegiate start, going all five innings and striking out eight Red Hawk batters. After two 7th inning relief appearances Thursday night to open the season, the freshman seems to be right at home in the circle.
“She’s just different,” Ford said of the freshman. “She has a very deep understanding of her mechanics and where she wants to put the ball. Our conversations are a little more complex than that of a normal freshman, she’s just somebody who has a very mature outlook in her pitching progression.”
The team is back in action tomorrow, as they finish off the weekend taking on Utah at 6pm to round out the Kajikawa Classic.
