ASU Softball: Sun Devils Show Unwavering Grit to Take All Three Against the Utes

(Photo: Nicholas Badders/WCSN)

As the second week of Pac-12 play concluded, the 18th-ranked Arizona State Sun Devils (25-8, 5-1 in Pac-12) are riding one of the most feel-good wins of the season after completing a sweep of the unranked Utah Utes

ASU started the weekend with two big wins, 13-0 and 14-4 on Friday and Saturday. In the first game, the Devils saw a dominant performance by pitcher Samantha Mejia, who pitched a complete game, one-hit shutout. Mejia had full command of her pitches, striking out four and walking none.

In contrast, the Devils’ lineup came ready to go. Leading the way at the plate was catcher Maddi Hackbarth, who hit two home runs and drove in four. Hackbarth overpowered the Utes all weekend, finishing the series with five home runs and nine RBIs. She won both Pac-12 and USA Softball Player of the Week awards for her explosive offensive series.

“Our coaches do a great job of making sure we’re prepared all week,” Hackbarth said Friday. “This week, we knew we were gonna be facing a drop ball for a strike and we just hammered that pitch all week. I think I was very prepared; I was looking for that pitch in both at-bats.”

ASU looked for a repeat performance Saturday afternoon. Freshman pitcher Abby Andersen didn’t have the same control Mejia exhibited the night before, she had more than enough run support. Andersen walked five in 4.1 innings and, after being tagged for four runs in the fifth, was relieved by Mikayla Santa Cruz.

Like the night before, the ASU bats came to life early on, pouring on five runs in the first and continuing to score, building a 14-0 lead and again on their way to a run-ruling Utah. The top three hitters in the Sun Devil lineup racked up nine hits and drove in half of the team’s runs. Right fielder Kindra Hackbarth had her own stellar game going 4-of-4 with a home run, a day after her sister’s great performance.

“Every way she can do it whether it be bunting, hitting….I mean she’s special,” ASU head coach Trisha Ford said.

The final game of the series was nothing like the others, but it was a special victory for ASU. Trailing by eight in the bottom of the seventh, ASU stormed back with nine runs, capped of by a triple from junior Alli Tatnall. With two outs and bases loaded, Tatnall smacked a 0-1 pitch down the left field line, capping off the day for ASU with an incredible 18-17 win.

“It was definitely surprising,” Tatnall said of her game-clinching hit. “I thought I was the winning run… I see everyone jumping towards me and that was unbelievable.”

Tatnall is not a regular starter in the ASU lineup but has left an impression with her work ethic, energy in the dugout and diverse skillset.

“We’ve talked about her a little bit throughout this year, especially how much she’s helped our team,” Ford said. “Whether it be in the bullpens, base running, hitting. She’s done such a great job for us and being such a great teammate.”

While ASU had the offense to push past the Utes, the performances in the circle left a lot to be desired. Back to start was Mejia, who didn’t have the same success as her Friday night game. Mejia was hit hard and pulled after only two and two thirds innings. Andersen tried her hand as well, but lasted 3.1 innings before stepping out for Santa Cruz. Both Mejia and Andersen gave up eight earned runs.

After this weekend’s sweep, the Sun Devils now look ahead to a tougher schedule starting with a three-game series against their desert rivals, the Arizona Wildcats. The Sun Devils have won five straight, the Wildcats six. Both are among the best home-run hitting teams in the country.

The Sun Devils will have a tough pitching staff to face. Arizona hasn’t allowed a team to score more than five runs in their last eight games, whereas ASU scored a total of 45 against Utah this past weekend. Arizona’s pitchers have also allowed the fewest walks in Pac-12 play to go with the second most strikeouts opposite to ASU, who has the second fewest strikeouts and most walks.

Coach Ford said her team has “known what’s coming for a whole year” regarding the matchup with the Wildcats. If ASU’s pitchers can hold on, the Sun Devils have shown the firepower and grit to make the series against the Wildcats an interesting one.