ASU Softball: Explosive fourth inning leads Sun Devils past California 13-5

(Photo: Samantha Luevano/WCSN)

After an uncharacteristic series against the Stanford Cardinal the Arizona State Softball returned home for a three-game series against the California Golden Bears. Also returning were the Sun Devils’ bats, which have amassed 18 hits through two games.

“I’m trying to forget last week,” ASU head coach Trisha Ford said jokingly about the Stanford series. “It’s a huge momentum builder obviously to come home and feel comfortable and kind of get our groove back going. Obviously, tomorrow is a big game, and I mean, every game right now is big. And so, I just think we just got to take it one pitch and obviously one game [at a time].”

The No. 12 ranked Sun Devils (34-7, 15-2 Pac-12) have been explosive at the plate all season. But Saturday’s 13-5 victory over the Golden Bears (26-22, 6-11 Pac-12) was the latest example in a season full of hot bats. The return of ASU’s dominant hitting has propelled them to a series win over Cal.

Despite all the talk of the Sun Devils’ bats it was the Bears who would score first. During the third inning junior catcher Makena Smith drove in sophomore left fielder Kennedy Thomas for Cal’s first run. In the following at-bat, sophomore shortstop Tatum Anzaldo drove in Smith.

Quickly, Ford and her squad faced a 2-0 deficit and appeared without answers for the Bears’ sophomore right-handed pitcher Haylei Archer. Archer was throwing a no-hitter through three innings, but senior second baseman Halle Harger broke the no-no with a single to right field. The Sun Devils would get additional runners on first and second but failed to capitalize.

“[Archer] was honestly making good pitches and making us attack them,” senior designated hitter Jazmyn Rollin explained about Archer’s approach. “I think later on in the game we decided to wait because she is going to bring one over the plate, every pitcher does. We’re waiting and getting a hitter’s pitch instead of a pitcher’s pitch. She did a really good job of just commanding the zone and making us chase after balls that she wanted us to. Later in the game, we got better and started hitting balls that we wanted to hit.”

Early in the top half of the fourth, freshman righty Mac Morgan struggled to find her location. This resulted in a four-pitch walk to sophomore designated hitter Sona Halajian. But Morgan would dial in and force the next three hitters to groundout.

To start the bottom half of the fourth inning, freshman first baseman Cydney Sanders homered to right-center field on the first pitch of the inning. The Sun Devils managed to get the bases loaded with only one out with senior catcher Jessica Puk at the plate. Puk worked the count, resulting in a nine-pitch walk.

Arizona State kept the pressure on, waiting on Archer to throw a “hitter’s pitch.” Rollin made the most out of the pitch when it came, drilling it over the center field fence for a grand slam. In the following at-bat, senior left fielder Makenna Harper added to the damage, hitting her own solo shot.

The fourth inning saw 14 Sun Devils approach the plate while 11 runs scored on seven hits. Ford and her squad went from down two to leading by nine.

Despite a long fourth inning, Morgan returned to the circle but struggled early on, forcing Ford to pull her. Replacing Morgan was sophomore right-handed pitcher Allison Royalty, who could be seen warming up in the bullpen since the first inning. Ford explained she wanted Royalty to warm up early because she felt that Royalty was a “good matchup,” against Cal and wanted her ready to go.

Royalty entered the game with no outs and faced Smith, who opened Royalty’s night with a three-run shot to left field. Royalty bounced back, forcing two groundouts and a strikeout.

“She’s been working her tail off,” Ford said of Royalty. “I mean, she’s been good for the last [months], honestly. She’s done a really good job. And she’s been throwing live to our hitters and spinning the ball and hitting spots.”

To start the bottom half of the fifth, Puk was hit by a pitch and later scored off a single from junior infielder Alynah Torres, who would advance to third on the throw home. Sophomore outfielder Emily Cazares would pinch run for Torres before scoring the winning run off a single from Sanders.

After the victory, Ford and Royalty could be seen talking inside the dugout for quite some time. Ford later explained the two were discussing what they could have done better situationally and were “just cleaning some things up.”

The Sun Devils will have one more game against Cal on Sunday, with first pitch set for noon.