(Photo via Zina Garcia/WCSN)
TEMPE – After opening their home series against Utah with back-to-back losses, Arizona State turned to Deborah Jones to hold the Utes’ potent offense in check. Despite the eventual loss and sweep at the hands of the Utes, Jones’ play in the circle on Sunday at least gives ASU something to smile about.
The odds seemed highly stacked against the senior right-handed pitcher entering the series finale. Arizona State (18-21, 2-13 Pac-12 Conference) had given up 19 combined runs in the previous two games including seven of which Jones was responsible for when she was the starting pitcher on Friday. Going off one day’s rest and facing a red-hot Utah (25-17, 7-11 Pac-12) offense, she nearly went the distance and gave her team a fighting chance.
“The second time she sees a hitter, especially Friday to Sunday, she adjusts. … She gets better,” head coach Megan Bartlett said. “She figures out kind of exactly where the hole is in the swing. … She’s got enough command to pitch to it.”
Entering the top of the seventh inning, Jones had four strikeouts, only given up two hits, and put up six scoreless innings against the Utes. Although her battle with control led to surrendering five walks, strong play from the defense behind her and a knack for forcing weak contact helped her strand seven runners on base.
However, the Sun Devils’ offense struggled with providing her any run support. Only managing two hits and putting three runners on base while striking out eight times meant the contest was a scoreless deadlock going into the final inning of play. Unfortunately, Jones could only watch as ASU blinked first in the defensive duel.
After giving up a lead-off single and walk to begin the top of the seventh, Jones got a vote of confidence to stay on the mound and get herself out of the jam like she had done several times earlier. On an 0-2 pitch to the third Utah batter, a miscommunication between senior infielder Kayla Lissy and graduate outfielder Audrey LeClair allowed a shallow pop-up to left field to drop for a hit. One mistake is all it took for the Utes to break the game open, scoring on a two-RBI double and another fielding error before Jones was lifted from the circle.
While the shutout loss stings due to missed opportunities, Jones pushed Utah to its limits despite very short rest on Sunday was a sight to behold. The grit and perseverance the senior right-handed pitcher displayed is exactly what Arizona State needs if it hopes to remain competitive for the rest of the season.
“(Jones) threw an absolutely beautiful game,” Bartlett said. “(She) did everything we asked her to do.”
