(Photo Courtesy/Sun Devil Athletics)
On a hot Sunday Senior Day afternoon, Arizona State Softball did something it had done very little of over the last decade – winning a series over UCLA.
The 6-3 come from behind victory over the No. 5 ranked UCLA Bruins came to fruition for the No. 11 Arizona State Sun Devils. The win marks the first for ASU over UCLA since 2015, ending a six-year and 364-day drought.
It was sophomore left fielder Emily Cazares who played hero, knocking a three-run home run over the right-field wall in the seventh inning, securing Arizona State head coach Trisha Ford’s first career series victory over UCLA.
“I think it’s great to get the monkey off your back,” Ford said. “I mean, obviously, UCLA is a tremendous program and has been for several years, and I think what we are doing here is a little unique and different.”
Cazares’ powerful blast ended the game, topping off the final two innings where ASU plated all six of their runs in the game. Entering the sixth inning Arizona State trailed 3-0 and was struggling to break through UCLA’s redshirt junior pitcher Megan Faraimo.
Faraimo entered the game in the first inning of play, with only one out on the board, due to a slow start from UCLA’s redshirt junior starter Holly Azevedo. Faraimo got two straight outs in the first inning and went on a roll through the next four innings.
“Faraimo is obviously a stellar pitcher,” Ford said. “She’s gonna take them very far.”
Despite the strong start, Faraimo couldn’t find her footing in the sixth and seventh innings. Arizona State had five of their seven hits in those two innings. The Sun Devils never gave up despite trailing by three runs.
“I just think we’ve seen her three times,” Ford explained regarding the mentality in the sixth and seventh innings. “I think we just don’t ever quit we really never quit.”
Junior center-fielder Jazmine Hill kicked off the comeback for Arizona State with a leadoff double down the left-field line. Cazares backed it up with a single to right field. Junior designated player Jazmyn Rollin earned a walk to load the bases in the sixth inning.
Then senior Maliey McLemore, who pinch-hit for redshirt senior second baseman Halle Harger, struck out. As did senior catcher Jessica Puk. With two outs and the bases still loaded, graduate third baseman Bella Loomis stepped into the batter’s box.
Loomis drove in all three runners to tie the game with a double off the wall.
“Bella came up big for us in the sixth inning,” Ford said.
The seventh inning was much of the same – in terms of success at the plate – for Arizona State. Senior right-fielder Yannira Acuña popped a pitch high up into the sky that got lost in the sun. It dropped to the ground about ten paces back and to the right of second base, between three Bruins clad in gray, and Acuña had taken her trip around first on her way to a lead-off double.
Freshman first baseman Cydney Sanders walked, and the cleanup hitter Hill grounded out to first base to advance both Acuña and Sanders. Cazares’ walk-off three-run homer came from there on an 0-1 count.
“[Cazares] hasn’t had [a lot of] at-bats all weekend and came up big,” Ford said. “That doesn’t happen if those people in front of her don’t get on. I thought it was just a tremendous job by everybody, kind of a team effort.”
Senior lefty pitcher Lindsay Lopez pitched a complete game for the second time this weekend after going the distance in Friday’s win over the Bruins as well.
“I think we need to talk about Lindsey Lopez today,” Ford said. “She threw a seven-inning complete game on Friday, came back today, and I thought she’s served tremendous [today].”
She allowed all three runs for UCLA and conceded eight hits, a welcoming number for Ford following UCLA’s day at the plate on Saturday.
“She kept a very potent offense that the day before had the most hits they’ve had in Pac-12 [play], at bay,” Ford explained on the lefty’s outing. “So I think for me, you can kind of look at that like, ‘that’s impressive.’ I mean, they started to get some momentum, they were feeling good in the box, and Lindsey comes out today and just stifles them.”
The series win gives the Sun Devils control of their own destiny in Pac-12 play. The upcoming road trip to Seattle to play the No. 9 ranked Washington Huskies gives Arizona State a clear message.
Win the series, and it wins the Pac-12 Championship, something ASU hasn’t done since 2011 under then ASU head coach Clint Myers. That same year the Sun Devils took top honors in Oklahoma City to be crowned National Champions.
