(Photo via Janaé Bradford/WCSN)
Entering its final regular season game against Oregon State, ASU Softball had a lot at stake. With just one win separating the bottom three teams in the Pac-12 Conference – Arizona, Arizona State and Oregon State – a series win would have given the Sun Devils a chance to avoid the play-in game for the Pac-12 Tournament.
However, with the series win and more on the line, the Sun Devils come up empty-handed against the Beavers. After a solid start to the series on Friday, the Sun Devils end the regular season on a low note and will now have to play an extra game in the Pac-12 Tournament.
In Sunday’s matchup between the bottom two teams in the conference, the Beavers (14-28-1, 5-17-1) overcame the Sun Devils (22-24, 6-17) 3-2, scoring all of their runs in one inning.
Graduate outfielder Makenna Harper opened up the game with her first of three hits on the day. It was a stand-up double, which was followed by another double from graduate outfielder Yannira Acuña. But, the Beavers got out of the inning with no damage suffered, thanks to the pitching of sophomore right-hander Ellie Garcia. Garcia pitched four innings and set her season high for strikeouts with eight on the day.
Then, in the bottom of the second, senior infielder Frankie Hammoude doubled to left-center field, keeping the momentum in the Beavers’ den. The wind was quickly taken out of Oregon State’s sails, though, after Hammoude was called out on interference two batters later, and the Sun Devils were able to get out of the inning safely.
Throughout the game, Garcia worked her curveball and changeup to keep hitters in the middle of ASU’s lineup – like senior infielders Jazmyn Rollin and Jordyn VanHook – off balance. The top of the lineup was able to produce hits and get on base, but the heart of the lineup was unable to bring those runners in.
From the leadoff spot, Harper went 3-for-4 and accounted for both of ASU’s runs. Behind her, Acuña went 2-for-3 with a double and a hit by a pitch. However, from the third through ninth slots of the lineup, only two hits were recorded. ASU’s two most prominent power hitters, Rollin (0-for-4) and VanHook (0-for-3), were kept silent after combining for three home runs and five RBIs in game one.
ASU’s first run came in the third inning. Harper singled, and she advanced after Acuña was hit by a pitch. Following back-to-back strikeouts, graduate infielder Alexa Milius smacked an RBI single up the middle to bring Harper across home plate.
But the fourth inning is where the Beavers took over. In the second at-bat of the inning, what started as a double play opportunity turned into runners at second and first after an error charged to Rollin. Later, a single that got past the glove of junior infielder Savannah Price loaded the bases. Sophomore outfielder Eliana Gottlieb proceeded to tie the game 1-1 with a single that squeezed past the infield.
With two outs, freshman infielder Madyson Clark slapped another RBI single, giving the Beavers the lead. Despite three stellar innings from ASU’s starting pitcher, freshman righty Kylee Magee, Oregon State’s third and final run came when Magee hit a batter with the bases loaded.
ASU managed to respond with one more run in the fifth with a sacrifice fly, but that is all the Sun Devils could muster up before the final out.
The fourth inning was the deciding factor in a monumental win for Oregon State. The Beavers, who sat in last in the Pac-12 for much of the season, will now have an extra day of rest and practice before facing the No. 2 seed in the Pac-12 Tournament.
As for the Sun Devils, their fate was also sealed with Sunday’s loss. Now in last place in the conference, ASU will have to take on the eighth-seeded Arizona Wildcats on Wednesday down in Tucson for the opening day of the Pac-12 Tournament. Earlier in the season, ASU lost its series to Arizona 2-1.
Despite the disappointing end to the regular season, ASU still has a chance to miraculously make the NCAA Tournament with a stellar showing in Tucson this week.
