(Photo: Marlee Smith/WCSN)
In the first at-bat of the game, ASU fifth-year pitcher Cielo Meza threw a heater down the middle leaving Iowa State sophomore infielder Carli Spelhaug swinging at nothing but air for the first out of the game. That would be Meza’s 550th of her luxurious collegiate career, but also a sign of the performance that she was about to put on for the Sun Devils.
Meza would lead the Sun Devils against Iowa State in their second game of the doubleheader they played this past Saturday. Meza faced a swing-happy Cyclone team that made her work for any out in the game. However, even when facing a difficult lineup, Meza dominated the mound by mowing down Iowa State’s offense.
“I’m definitely a completely different pitcher than I was two years ago,” Meza said. “We worked on the mental game, we worked on the physical aspect of pitching, and I just feel like I am completely myself now.”
Meza reflected on her Long Beach State days and how much she has grown since then and coming to ASU. Now, achieving her 550th strikeout, Meza feels like a “pro” as she participates in her sixth year. A pro she was as she held the Cyclones’ offense to only four hits with nine strikeouts in six innings of play.
From the exception of Iowa State senior Sami Williams, who had three hits, including two homers, the rest of the Cyclones lineup was held to only one hit from Meza.
“I’m just excited,” head coach Trisha Ford said. “[Meza] has worked so hard to get where she is at, and she has really refocused on what she wants to do.”
Coach Ford called Meza dynamic in her pitching ability. However, Meza was not the only thing about the Sun Devils that was dynamic as the Sun Devil’s bats were impressive in this one.
The offense started early as fifth-year catcher Maddi Hackbarth drove in two runners in the first inning to give ASU a lead they would never lose. Hackbarth added on in the third frame with a solo bomb that went high above the scoreboard to extend the lead 3-0 ASU. However, she would not be alone as sophomore infielder Alynah Torres would join her home run club, making it back-to-back home runs for the Sun Devils.
“We feed off of each other,” Hackbarth said about Torres. “I love when she is hitting behind me and has the same kind of mindset.”
The duo also hit back-to-back homers in previous games this season, proving that they are becoming a powerful part of ASU’s lineup. Hackbarth finished the game against No. 25 Iowa State with four RBIs leading ASU to an 8-3 win.
The first game of the doubleheader saw ASU dominate Portland State as the game ended on a run-rule in the fifth inning 8-0. Like the second game, this game had an impressive outing by an ASU pitcher, this time being Lisndey Lopez.
Lopez started the game off a little rough allowing three hits in the first two innings. However, she dialed in and never let Portland State get into a groove. Lopez finished her shutout in five innings, striking out five batters and allowing zero walks.
“[Lopez] got better as the game went,” Ford said. “She started to use her offspeed a little bit more.”
Coach Ford talked about the limited arms she has and how important it is to have games like these to grow Lopez and rest her other arms. The Sun Devils are in the middle of playing six games in four days, so rest will play a crucial part during this stretch.
The Sun Devil’s offense was in many challenging situations, whether that was two strikes count or two outs. However, they were able to be resilient and get the hits needed to get runs home.
Many instances where the Vikings only needed one more pitch to get out of a jam, but ASU would get critical hits. For example, fifth-year outfielder Kindra Hackbarth hit a two-out RBI double to keep ASU’s momentum as they extended their lead 3-0.
“We saw three very different pitchers tonight, and we took advantage of them quickly,” Ford said. “That is a sign of a good team.”
The homer-hitting offense that is ASU focused more on contact hitting as they got five out of their eight runs by putting the ball in the field of play. This proves the versatility that the Sun Devils offense possesses going forward into the season.
The game would end in the fifth after Lopez got a groundout, getting herself out of a tricky situation with runners on first and second to end the game 8-0 ASU.
ASU bounces back from its first loss of the season against No. 2 Oklahoma this past Friday with a pair of outstanding pitching performances and eight-run outings by the offense. They return tomorrow with a rematch against New Mexico to add to their winning streak.
“We took care of business, everybody did their job, and that is why we had two good games,” M. Hackbarth said.
