(Photo: Marlee Smith/WCSN)
Arizona State went into Saturday’s doubleheader with No. 8 Oregon with a bad taste in their mouths after dropping a heartbreaker in the series opener Friday night. They finished the day with two wins, and furthered their case as one of the nation’s premiere teams.
Game 1
As great as Allison Royalty’s freshman campaign has been, there are still moments where she shows her youth. Facing one of the country’s premiere lineups in No. 8 Oregon on Saturday, she struggled out of the gate. After the first two Ducks reached base against the freshman right hander, Royalty retired the next two and was on the verge of escaping the early jam.
Oregon sophomore Hanna Delgado had other plans.
She sent a fastball deep into center field, by the time the ball settled amongst the palms, Oregon had a 3-0 lead. Royalty settled in nicely after the crooked number in the first, finishing her four inning outing with five strikeouts and no walks.
“I really didn’t have any other choice but to keep going,” Royalty said. “I knew I had to figure it out and keep my team in the game and I think I did that. I’m just happy we got two wins today.”
In the bottom of the first, Arizona State struck back with a vengeance. As they have done all year long, the Hackbarths got the party started. Kindra led off the frame with a single to right field, and two batters later Maddi drew a one out walk. After sophomore Alynah Torres flew out, junior Yannira Acuna dug in with two on and two out. Acuna took a 1-1 fastball and blasted it to center, easily clearing the Farrington wall and tying the game at three. The bomb was Acuna’s fourth of the year.
Senior Maddi Hackbarth then broke the tie.
Since she started the season on an unprecedented long ball pace, it was evident it would only be a matter of time before Hackbarth broke the ASU single season home run record. With a majestic blast in the third inning of Saturday’s matinee, she tied the mark with her 20th of the year. The milestone homer also gave the Sun Devils the lead.
ASU blew the game open late when Jazmine Hill smacked a two run double into left center. Hill, who has been quiet of late, collected her first two RBIs in the last four games.
This win counts towards conference play, but the win in game two is of the non-conference variety.
Game 2
Allison Royalty took the circle again in the nightcap, and this time she was stellar. The Corinth, TX native tossed 5.1 scoreless innings, earning her second win of the day.
“She’s been working through some things this week, but she wanted to be out there tonight,” Ford said of Royalty. “Her and I had a great talk in between games about how to tackle the top of that lineup, and she executed.”
Acuna made her bat heard again, as she gave ASU another early lead, this time with a second inning two run blast. Later in the inning, Savannah Price added a two run homer of her own in just her fifth at bat of the year. The four run frame would be all the Sun Devils would score, and all they’d need.
“It’s gonna take everybody this year, and we’re deeper than we look,” Ford said. “Savannah was awesome, and in the circle I thought Lindsay and Cielo were great as well. We’re going to have to keep teams on our toes with the three very capable pitchers that we have.”
Senior Cielo Meza relieved Royalty in the top of the sixth, and quelled an Oregon surge. Meza ran into trouble in the seventh when Oregon mounted a rally, plating their only run of the game.
Ford used all three of her pitchers throughout the doubleheader, and the trio surrendered just five total runs.
On Sunday ASU will have the chance to take the series in the afternoon finale, their starting pitcher is to be announced. Although her staff is thin, Ford is confident in their ability to come together to take the series.
“We’ve got to find a way to keep their hitters off balance,” Ford said. “We’re going to throw the whole kitchen sink at them.”
