(Photo: Marlee Smith/WCSN)
Thursday vs. Auburn
The Arizona State Sun Devils (12-2) run-ruled Auburn 13-0 to pick up their first win of the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic and their sixth consecutive win on the season.
The game started slow with neither side producing anything offensively in the first inning, but things quickly picked up after junior first baseman Denae Chatman came up to the plate in the second inning.
Chatman crushed the ball over the fence in right center field for her second home run and her fifth RBI of the season as senior DP Alli Tatnall, who was walked earlier in the inning, was also brought home to score.
The Sun Devils never slowed down after those first two runs, tallying four more in the third inning. Freshman right fielder Jazmine Hill hit a single up the middle to score Tatnall and senior catcher Maddi Hackbarth.
The run rule was in sight to start the fourth inning as the Sun Devils only needed two runs to cap the game off, however, they kept the bats hot to score seven runs.
Arizona State batted through its entire lineup in the fourth, with hits from Maddi Hackbarth, freshman shortstop Alynah Torres, Chatman, senior center fielder Kindra Hackbarth, and freshman catcher Macy Simmons.
Junior Madison Preston was untouchable in the circle tallying her first shutout of the season. She allowed only one hit and three walks with 19 batters faced. This was her fourth win of the season.
Friday vs. San Diego & New Mexico
The Sun Devils picked up right where they left on Thursday collecting two more wins on Friday against San Diego and New Mexico.
For the first time all season, the Sun Devils were the visiting team and they did not waste anytime getting started. Torres hit a ball deep to the fence to pick up a double and score K. Hackbarth and second baseman Bella Loomis to make the score 2-0 after the first inning.
Arizona State went on a two-out rally in the second inning loading the bases, but came up short to strand all three runners. The San Diego Toreros added one run in the bottom of the second to make the score 2-1.
Both teams saw little offensive action in the third and fourth innings before the Sun Devils bats struck again in the top of the fifth.
Sophomore left fielder MaKenna Harper started the inning off with a double to left field. K. Hackbarth then drove Harper in with a double of her own. M. Hackbarth and Tatnall also hit doubles for the Sun Devils to score four runs giving them the 6-1 advantage.
Arizona State cooled off again for the sixth inning before exploding in the top of the seventh for an eight run inning, Hill scored early thanks to a RBI double from sophomore Mailey McLemore. The Sun Devils then loaded the bases for M. Hackbarth who hit a grand slam for her second home run of the season.
Tatnall and Hill followed by both hitting solo shots of their own to make the score 14-1 going into the bottom of the seventh.
Senior pitcher Samantha Mejia took over for senior Cielo Meza in the circle to close the game out. The final score was 14-2.
The Sun Devil carried their momentum into the next game against New Mexico to score seven runs in the top of the first.
Torres hit her second home run of the night bringing in two runners with her for an early 3-0 lead. After wild pitches by the Lobos pitcher Bailey Klitzke, Tatnall and Chatman were both able to score. K. Hackbarth hit a 2-run RBI double to wrap up the inning.
With Mejia still toeing the rubber, the Sun Devils went three up three down leaving the Lobos scoreless after the first.
In the second, Torres walked to start the inning, then Chatman hit a shot over the left field fence for a 2 RBI home run. Junior third baseman Kiara Kennedy followed suit by hitting her second home run of the season. After a pitching change from the Lobos, junior second baseman Halle Harger completed the trifecta for her solo-shot and the Sun Devils’ second back-to-back-to-back homeruns of the night.
Mejia preserved the shut out in the second inning to give the Sun Devils a 11-0 lead.
The Lobos loaded the bases on three consecutive walks before Tatnall hit a sac fly for a run to score in the third.
ASU head coach Trisha Ford implemented many pinch hitters and replaced M. Hackbarth with Simmons. Freshman Jordyn Vanhook and Harger were brought home by Hill’s three run bomb over the left field fence making the score 15-0 and the final for the night.
Freshman pitcher Lindsay Lopez came in for relief for Mejia in the top of the fifth. Lopez preserved ASU’s sixth shut out of the year.
The Sun Devils saw eight different home runs from six different players in Friday’s game to push their winning streak to eight games now.
ASU will continue its play in the Mary Nutter Classic Saturday afternoon. The Sun Devils will take on No. 7 Florida and then face Notre Dame for their second double header of the tournament.
