(Photo: Paige Cook/WCSN)
TUCSON – Playing in front of a sold-out Hillenbrand Stadium, No. 17 Arizona State defeated host No. 22 Arizona 9-2 on Friday night in Tucson.
ASU (23-5, 4-0) led 3-2 going into the fifth inning and the game was set to be a battle the rest of the way. The Sun Devils changed that narrative by scoring three times, two of them on productive sacrifice flies. They also got an RBI double from senior infielder Jazmyn Rollin, which was her third of the game and ASU got some breathing room leading 6-2.
The Sun Devils led early and never surrendered. Junior infielder Alynah Torres and senior outfielder Yanni Acuña both reached base to start the game and the Devils eventually loaded the bases for Rollin singled home two runs as she continued her hot hitting to give ASU a quick 2-0 advantage.
ASU added a run in the second thanks to an RBI double from Acuña that was set up by senior catcher Jessica Puk’s leadoff walk.
“I thought we really strung some good at bats together early on in the game and kept the pressure on them the entire game,” ASU Head Coach Trisha Ford said. “I thought Mac battled and competed. It was a good game.”
Freshman right-handed pitcher Mac Morgan got the start for ASU on the road. She didn’t have her best stuff. She held off a bases loaded, one out opportunity for Arizona in the bottom of the first that kept the momentum with the maroon and gold.
“Mac is a competitor and I thought she did a tremendous job keeping her composure,” Ford said. “She did a good job staying with her pitches and not giving them too much to hit because offensively they’ve got some good bats over there.”
Morgan’s only blemish on the scorecard was in the bottom of the third. Sophomore infielder Allie Skaggs singled with two outs, and Arizona’s leading home run hitter, sophomore infielder Carlie Scupin, hit her 12th big fly of the season that drew the Wildcats to within 3-2. Morgan would battle her way through four innings allowing six hits, two runs and did not strike out a batter.
Leading 6-2, ASU was not satisfied with the four-run cushion heading into the sixth. Puk singled to lead off the frame and with two outs, Acuña walked, setting up freshman infielder Cydney Sanders. She roped a two-run double down the left field line that gave ASU an 8-2 lead and sent some Wildcat fans to the exits.
For good measure, the Sun Devils would add a run in the seventh. Rollin walked to start it and after an error and a hit batter loaded the bases, Bella Loomis hit a sacrifice fly scoring Rollin to push the Sun Devil lead to 9-2.
The Sun Devils were able to take advantage of some sloppy defense by the Wildcats as they committed four errors on the evening. This allowed them to put two unearned runs on the board as it gave ASU a much more comfortable lead.
Throughout the 12-game winning streak, you can point to a lot as to what’s been the key factor. Tonight, you’d have to say the pitching was superb. Sun Devil pitching allowed just one walk in 28 batters faced, something they’ll obviously have to continue to do throughout the weekend.
“I think that [adding on runs] is huge and shows the growth of our program,” Ford said. “I think that this is a big series for us but for us these are all important games and they continue to put good at bats together.”
Sophomore right-handed pitcher Marissa Schuld, playing in her first game at Arizona since transferring, shut down the Wildcat offense allowing just one hit, walking one and striking out four over the final three innings of play. This brought her season ERA down to 1.17 and her strikeout-walk ratio to 75-4.
The second game of the series will continue Saturday evening with a 5:00pm first pitch. The Sun Devils will look to win a baker’s dozen, 13 in a row.
“The thing I was most excited about was when the game was over Alynah Torres went to our huddle saying ‘Hey, we’re not done,’” Ford said. “Their focus is on the next game, yes this feels good but guess what, they’re gonna come out swinging tomorrow and we’re gonna respond.”
