(Photo: Nicholas Badders/WCSN)
The No. 8 Arizona State Sun Devil softball team defeated both the North Dakota State Bison and Bingham Young Cougars Friday night at Farrington Stadium. The Sun Devils defeated North Dakota State 10-2 in five innings in game one of the doubleheader and then overpowered BYU 7-0 in the nightcap.
ASU continued their offensive dominance outscoring the two teams 17-2 in the 12 innings of play, and outhit them by a combined 18-2 mark.
G. Juarez was lights out going all seven innings without surrendering a single hit to the Cougars offense.
Game 1 – ASU v. North Dakota State in 5 innings
Senior pitcher Breanna Macha took the mound for ASU for game one and struggled early in the game. Macha allowed one run to score, setting ASU back 1-0 in only the first inning.
ASU however, answered scoring five runs in the bottom half of the inning led by Nichole Chilson and Bella Loomis.
“Having them have my back, is definitely a stress off my shoulders. It is always nice to have them come hit for me,” said Macha on the offensive production of her teammates.
From then on, the Sun Devils took control of the game, scoring another three runs in the bottom half of the second inning, headlined by a Jade Gortarez home run to left field.
“My plan going straight up to the pitch was to hit a changeup, just because it was the first pitch of the inning. I just got my pitch,” said Gortarez.
North Dakota State was stymied by three errors which resulted in five unearned runs for NDSU pitcher KK Leddy. Leddy struggled with her command of the strike zone, allowing a total of 11 hits on the day.
Danielle Gibson was a spark for the Devils in game one going 2 for 2 with three runs on the night.
Macha finished her outing by going five innings with two earned runs allowed and collecting six total strikeouts.
Game 2 – ASU v. Brigham Young
Juarez took the mound in game two of the doubleheader, and the Cougars of BYU had no answer for the sophomore star. She fooled batters all night, recording her first collegiate no-hitter on the mound for the Sun Devils.
Juarez ended the night with 11 strikeouts with a single walk and no hits given up.
“I didn’t realize it till the end,” said Juarez on her record-breaking performance. “It really isn’t about me. It is about setting a standard here. It is very exciting, but every day in practice, I’m just pretending I’m pitching in the World Series against Oklahoma.”
“G is just fun to watch. She is growing up in front of our eyes,” said head coach Trisha Ford. “I’m just impressed with the person that she is becoming. She is just special.”
Juarez received an immediate lead from the Sun Devils offense at the beginning of the game. Morgan Howe singled in Kindra Hackbarth in the first inning, placing the Devils in front early.
Pitcher Aria Paulson of BYU faced control issues her entire night, including her first inning as she threw a wild pitch resulting in Marisa Stankiewicz scoring for ASU.
Paulson, a Mesa, Arizona native, went 3.2 innings with a total of five earned runs, with four walks and four wild pitches to her stat line.
The Sun Devils continued their offensive prowess in game two of the doubleheader, scoring five additional runs through the fifth inning. The biggest surprise of the night was sophomore outfielder Breezy Wise’s home run into deep, left center field to cement the Devils lead.
“It is like a dream come true,” said Wise on her swing the fifth inning. “I mean hitting a home run is nice, but without my team it is nothing.”
“You’re always happy when that type of player performs in those types of situations,” said Ford of Wise’s home run. “Heck of at-bat, she crushed that ball.”
Wise’s home run helped the Sun Devils to victory as they beat the Cougars 7-0.
ASU now improves their record to 29-4 on the season with a Pac-12 record set at 5-1.
Arizona State is set to take on both North Dakota State and BYU in a doubleheader once again on Saturday, March 31st. The Sun Devils will take on North Dakota State at 1:30 p.m. and BYU at 4:00 p.m.
