(Photo via Sam Polgreen/WCSN)
The Sun Devils head into week two of conference play and face Oregon State in their upcoming weekend series. This weekend is Alumni Weekend, so there will be many familiar faces back at Farrington Stadium this weekend.
The ASU bats were held to just two runs in game one and were shut out in game two against No. 7 Washington but exploded in game three for nine runs in a 9-3 victory over the Huskies.
The Sun Devils continued their domination at the plate against Grand Canyon on Tuesday in Tempe in an 8-2 victory, where sophomore outfielder Tanya Windle had four RBIs and three hits to help lead her team to victory.
This weekend, the Devils (16-9, 1-2 Pac-12 Conference) welcome Oregon State to Tempe. The Beavers are 12-14 on the year, and 1-2 in conference play. They are currently riding a four-game losing streak after dropping two of three games against Arizona and suffering a midweek sweep from Portland State in a Tuesday doubleheader.
Oregon State’s offensive production is sparse. The Beavers rank last in conference batting average at .228 and runs scored with 76. They have hit 13 home runs this year and only have 63 RBIs to add to the homers. Early offense will be a key factor for ASU, which has not been a problem five weeks into the season.
The Sun Devils’ offense prides itself on baserunning, with 58 stolen bases to lead the Pac-12 and rank 10th nationally. Offensive pressure has been the plan for ASU so far this year, winning just two games when it scores less than five runs.
In its first conference series, ASU rode the hot bats of graduate outfielder Kelsey Hall and senior infielder Kayla Lissy. Hall was 4-for-9, while Lissy was an even .500 at the plate with six hits in 12 at-bats. Hall drew three walks as well, stealing two bases in the process.
Windle leads the team in total batting average at .415, with six hits in her last seven at-bats. ASU has no shortage of offense, whether it’s at the top or bottom of the batting order. Graduate infielder Alesia Denby leads the team with six home runs, but five of them came within the first 10 games of the season. Coming into Friday, it’s been 10 games since Denby rounded the bases. After slipping to seventh in the batting order against Washington, she will look to get back on track and move back up the order.
The Beavers have consistent pitchers in the circle, but with only three in the lineup, they rely heavily on their stamina. They have posted a team ERA of 2.47, and have 121 strikeouts on the year. ASU has struck out 171 times this season but has also drawn 71 walks in the process. The Beavers are in the middle of the pack when it comes to pitch control, allowing 60 walks. Oregon State’s pitching staff has pitched 14 complete games this year, proving they can go the distance.
ASU’s early offensive strategy can force the Beavers to dive into their bullpen earlier than anticipated and set up a successful weekend at the plate. The pitching staff for the Devils bounced back after their first two games against Washington, giving up just five combined runs in its last two games.
However, the team ERA still sits high at 3.81. Sun Devil pitchers have forced a lot of swings and misses, with 141 strikeouts while walking 63 batters. The pitching staff has struggled lately with control but showed signs of improvement against Grand Canyon.
ASU has shown all season long that it can consistently produce on offense. The question lies in if the pitchers can shut down opposing batters. After back-to-back complete games, ASU’s pitchers have built up some momentum for this weekend’s contests against the Beavers. Club Farrington will be full of ASU softball alumni, and the Devils will look to put on a show for them this weekend.
