(Photo: Marlee Smith/WCSN)
After dropping the final three games of the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic, No. 17 Arizona State (14-5) was determined to start the Sun Devil Classic right where they left off the last time they were in Tempe.
“[The message] was just to focus a little more about us and embrace the hard,” head coach Trisha Ford said postgame. “When it gets hard, good teams say ‘oh it’s hard’ and whine about it. Great teams push through it, they work harder.”
The Devils certainly embraced the hard of trip to California and returned to Tempe with the same fire that led them to an undefeated record in the Littlewood Classic as they defeated both Maryland and Wisconsin on Friday.
Maryland
Arizona State came out hungry and took care of Maryland in an 8-0 run rule game.
“The three game losing streak was a bummer,” righty Cielo Meza said. “It was a bad weekend for all of us. We all brushed it aside and moved on and picked up right where we left off when we were winning.”
The first two innings showed little offensely. Arizona State’s offense slowly came to life with increasingly better connections off the bat with each passing turn in the box. It was obvious the Sun Devils were very close to uncorking some bombs off of Maryland pitcher Courtney Wyche’s throws. It all came to fruition in the bottom of the third where the Devils scored every run of the game.
Kindra Hackbarth started the run with a homer to center field. The other Hackbarth slugger, Maddi, notched two RBIs on a double. Denae Chatman brought M. Hackbarth home with an RBI of her own which was followed by a monster three-run homer to left field by Kiara Kennedy. The inning ended with a K. Hackbarth score from a Bella Loomis RBI to put the lead up to 8-0.
Maryland would not be able to answer as Mejia pitched a solid game with five strikeouts and the defense made plays all over the field. Outfielders Makenna Harper and Jazmine Hill were clutch in the fifth, catching the final two fly balls that would end up being the game.
Wisconsin
The second game was much closer as the Badgers proved to be a tougher team. Once again, Cielo Meza pitched lights out. Meza and the Devils’ defense were one home run in the seventh away from a shutout.
“My rise-ball and my curveball were definitely working,” Meza said. “I didn’t really use my off-speed or change-ups which have been a big factor this year. I felt like my spin was working.”
And working they were as Meza finished with eight strikeouts, tied for third most on the season.
Arizona State struck first with a homer from M. Hackbarth, who crushed the ball far beyond the fence. The dinger was her fifth of the year.
“I know when it’s out and it definitely felt good to get one out and get it going,” Maddi Hackbarth said.
Up by one at the bottom of the fifth, Bella Loomis knocked a two-run homer to give the Sun Devils a three-run cushion.
A scoreless sixth led to the Badgers having one final shot at the game down 3-0. The first pitch of the inning ended up being a Fiona Girardot home run. Meza responded by throwing a strikeout sandwiched between a fly out and a ground out to secure the win.
“The fact that I can bounce back from [allowing a homerun] with a strikeout or a pop out is a big improvement [from last year],” Meza said. “I’m just more able to stay in the game and stay focused.”
After tough games in California, Trishia Ford wanted the team to “embrace the hard” and to fight back. The team certainly delivered for their leader as they added two games to the win column.
“When you are facing some tough pitching you’re not always going to get it, but tonight against a really good pitcher we had 10 hits,” Ford said. “I think it’s hard and it’s teaching these young ones that it’s not always easy, it’s not always going to come and you’re going to have to grind.”
The Devils will face the Badgers again on Saturday after a game against Southern Utah.
