(Photo: Zina Garcia/ WCSN)
TEMPE, Ariz. – Arizona State softball had an unusual game in Tempe at Farrington Softball Stadium Wednesday night as it wasn’t your typical softball game. It was as if a game of chess was being played with the players being the pieces.
“We did a lot of scripting,” ASU Coach Megan Bartlett said postgame. “Testing the defense and testing the pitchers where the pitcher is under pressure.”
Pressure was an overstatement. Right out the gate, Sun Devils senior starting pitcher Aissa Silva struck out three of Phoenix College’s players in the top of the first inning. By the bottom of the first inning, the Sun Devils had a 5-0 early lead. The mercy rule was put in place, restricting ASU to just five runs in the second inning put into play to where they couldn’t pass five runs in the next inning.
The game continued on, and by the fifth inning, the Sun Devils were up tremendously, 14-4 against the Bears.
Bases were stolen left and right by the Sun Devils the entire night. One of the most skillful displays of the night came from junior infielder Ryan Brown in the bottom of the seventh inning as she hit a double, stole third, and then ran all the way home.
“You don’t need to be the fastest on the diamond,” coach Bartlett said. “Get ready to take the next base and just be aggressive.”
The Sun Devils did just that. Not only were they stealing bases, but they were demolishing the balls any chance they could get.
Sun Devils sophomore outfielder Ashleigh Mejia went 4-of-4 at the plate during Wednesday’s game, including two singles, a double and a home run. Because of her experience, Mejia is a critical player for the Sun Devils.
“She’s not only exceptionally talented,” coach Bartlett expressed, “she’s currently in fuego.”
Going into the spring season, the Sun Devils already have such a dominant offense. Hitters such as senior utility player Sydney Saenz and Brown annihilated the ball out of the stadium in the 8th inning.
The game went to eight innings to give pitchers on both teams a chance to pitch for three innings.
The Sun Devils scored run after run in almost every inning, not taking their feet off the gas as if the game were a regular-season contest. Ultimately, taking down the Bears shows them how strong they are as a team.
The Sun Devils are back in Tempe in the ballpark on Nov. 11 against Pima College, as ASU hopes to keep moving forward.
