ASU Softball: Sun Devils open conference play against Beavers

(Photo: Joey Plishka/WCSN)

No. 24 Arizona State kicks off Pac-12 play on Friday with a home series against the Oregon State Beavers. Welcoming their conference foe who resides 1,200 miles north, the Sun Devils look to keep their bats hot, their pitching dialed, and their defense clean.

In their last meeting, the Beavers walked away with the series win. On May 9, 2021, the Beavers walked it off with a three-run homer in the bottom of the seventh. In the lengthy history between the two programs, the Sun Devils hold the advantage 29-18.

This season, ASU holds a 19-5 record after their non-conference opponents allowed 148 Sun Devils to safely touch home. Six Sun Devils’ batting average sit above .300 while three of them are above .400.

Coming in from the left side, senior outfielder Yanni Acuña leads the team with a .483 batting average and eight home runs. Acuña sent five balls out of the park in the last six games of non-conference play, reaching base in her last 10 at bats.

Alongside Acuña, freshman infielder Cydney Sanders has found herself a spot in the lineup for conference play. She posts a .464 average and leads her offense with 26 RBIs. The San Marcos, California native has been a tough out for opposing pitchers, she has walked 18 times and has a slugging percentage that ranks just second under Acuña.

On the defensive side of the field, pitching for the Sun Devils has been resilient. The foursome ranks 19^th in the nation with a 1.77 earned run average.

Junior southpaw Lindsay Lopez has helped pave the way for this pitching staff allowing only five earned runs in 41 innings of work. Her sub-one ERA and .189 batting average against leads the team, evidently overpowering the batters stepping into the box.

Graduate transfer Marissa Schuld has helped the staff immensely since she came to the program. Schuld has notched nine wins in 14 appearances on the rubber. Changes in speed and eye level continues to be a challenge for opponents as she has only allowed seven earned runs in 44.2 innings. Schuld’s familiarity pitching in the Pac-12 has already been an instrumental component to the successful staff just from her experience alone.

Sophomore Allison Royalty and freshman Mac Morgan also command the circle for the Sun Devils, the young talents have taken on their role and provide another dimension to the battery. Morgan has made seven starts in 14 appearances and holds a 9-1 record. The newcomer will pose as a challenge to Pac-12 opponents since no one will have seen innings against her yet. The promising duo is a positive light for the Sun Devils for the next few years.

Oregon State posts a 22-4 record in non-conference play with seven run-rule games and 166 runs scored. The pitching staff has a combined 1.37 earned run average, all three pitchers sitting under 2.

Senior Mariah Mazon leads the Beavers in innings pitched (69.2) and strikeouts (97). She pitched in the loss against Alabama only giving up two earned runs with six strikeouts.

Offensively, OSU junior infielder Frankie Hammoude leads the way with a .468 batting average with nine homeruns. Hammoude will pose as a threat the Sun Devil staff with a slugging percentage of .952.

ASU picked up their fourth run-rule in six games against Marist on Tuesday. In their last six games, they have only allowed four runs while scoring 49 of their own.

The 1972 and 1973 Championship team will throw out the first pitch on Saturday to celebrate alumni weekend. On Sunday, the 2008 and 2011 Championship teams will be recognized and honored throughout the contest.