(Photo: Marlee Smith/WCSN)
24 hours removed from double-header wins against Illinois State and
No. 10 Kentucky, No. 22 Arizona State defeated both Detroit Mercy and Kentucky on day two of the Littlewood Classic in Tempe.
The first two games went about as different as two games can go. A 15-1 mercy rule ended the first game early while the battle against Kentucky finished in extra innings in a defensive brawl.
Detroit Mercy
In the first game of the night, Arizona State faced the win-less Detroit Mercy Titans. Once again, the Sun Devil offense was the star of the show after scoring 12 runs in two innings.
The bottom of the third is where Arizona State took care of business. Already up 3-0, the Devils began an eight run tear. Bases were loaded several times throughout the inning as home plate became a turnstile for scorers. Chatman, Kennedy, McLemore, Harger, and the Hackbarth sisters all scored.
At the next at bat for the Sun Devils, four more runs were scored which lead to the final offensive output at 15.
All that was left was for senior righty Samantha Mejia to close the game on defense. Mejia would go on to give up one run in the top of the fifth, but would ice the game in which she recorded a career-high 10 strikeouts.
Kentucky
For the second game of the double-header, the Sun Devils defeated the same Kentucky Wildcats the team had beaten the previous night by a score of 7-5.
A defensive clash ensued as regulation ended with a score of 1-1. Kentucky infielder Alex Martens earned an RBI at the top of the fourth to notch the game’s first score.
It was not until the bottom of the seventh that the Sun Devils were able to tie the game up to send it to overtime. A Kiara Kennedy triple allowed the run in by Olivia Miller.
The game would enter extra innings as the Devils would not be able to score another run in the seventh.
The biggest reason why each team struggled at hitting was the pitching. For Arizona State, senior Cielo Meza dominated with four strikeouts in her first stint of the night and an ERA of 2.23. Her reliever, Madison Preston, ended the game with six strikeouts and an ERA of 1.54.
For Kentucky, Grace Baalman broke double digits with eleven strikouts and an ERA of 2.26. She pitched the most with 10.1 innings pitched.
Meza would go on to return to the lineup in the ninth inning to ice the game for the Devils.
“I didn’t want to come out,” Meza said after the game. “We gave up those runs in the extra innings but I came [back] in ready to go. I wanted it so bad.”
“There’s a reason why she is as special as she is,” head coach Trisha Ford said of her ace pitcher. “She just made big pitches for us. Very proud of her.”
A rough defensive series for the Devils put the game in danger early in extra innings. Three runs were allowed in the opening of the eighth inning to give Kentucky then 4-1 lead.
With two outs and the game looking just about over, Alynah Torres sent the ball out past center field and into the palm trees for a three-run homer.
“That’s what you play softball for,” Torres said after her game, carrying the home run ball with her.
Several innings of sacrifice bunts and flies later left the Devils in position to score as the Kentucky offense was held to zero points. With Hill already on base, Alli Tatnall called game with a two-run homer to right field.
“I was so happy, so excited,” Tatnall said after the game. “If we kept that same energy and do what we need to do at every at bat we knew we were going to get it done.”
“I think tonight really solidifies ASU softball,” Trisha Ford said. “We’re never out of a game.”
Next Up
The Sun Devils will finish the Littlewood Classic against Boise State before heading out to Cathedral City, California for the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic next weekend.
