Sun Devils effectively utilize small ball to go 2-0 on Friday

(Photo credit: Zina Garcia/WCSN)

TEMPE — Junior outfielder Tanya Windle smacking a single into the left-center gap to lift Arizona State softball over Seattle in game one of the Friday doubleheader was the perfect example of ASU’s ability to manufacture runs throughout the entire day.

Seattle (9-8) threw the first punch in the third inning, landing four runs due to some timely hitting. That’s when the Sun Devil offense got to work erasing the deficit. ASU (13-5) put up two runs in the fourth, one in the sixth and two in the seventh, making things even at five heading into extras.

Seattle and ASU traded blows in the eighth before Windle finally put a bow on the affair with her base hit in the ninth, leading ASU to the 7-6 win.

“She is a very good hitter,” head coach Megan Bartlett said. “If she can be more efficient with the pitches she’s swinging at, she’ll have a ton of success.”

The ASU offense found a variety of ways to score runs in their first contest. A couple of home runs off the bats of sophomore catcher Samantha Swan and freshman first baseman Lillian Holtje provided fireworks to the scoring.

However, the majority of the Sun Devils’ runs came from walks followed by base hits. The Sun Devils have played their share of “small ball” in the beginning parts of the season, relying on base hits and walks to lead to their offensive success.

“I would take a high contact offense that could run, can drive the ball in the gap, can drive the ball over the wall, can drop bunts and have a ton of barrel control,” Bartlett said. “The reality is that at some point that math isn’t going to math. You’re just going to swing and miss too much, and you’re not going to come up with big moments.”

Freshman infielder Tiare Ho-Ching experienced this firsthand in game one, as she went 4-for-5 with two singles, two doubles and three RBIs.

“She has certainly turned into our spark plug,” Bartlett said. “The offense goes as she goes.”

The offense certainly went with her in game one as she provided an immense amount of value from the leadoff spot. While the rest of the lineup did their share throughout the game, Ho-Ching was the catalyst that Seattle was unable to slow down.

“I’m just so happy she chose to be a Sun Devil,” Bartlett said. “She certainly had a ton of opportunities to play, coast to coast all over the country, and she certainly shows up every single day.”

The Sun Devil offense continued their success over into game two as well. Again, the Sun Devils relied on small ball to score runs in the 9-1 victory over Yale.

The long ball has factored into multiple games for the Sun Devils in the 2025 season, but by no means has it been their primary offensive strategy.

Friday encapsulated the Sun Devil’s philosophy on the offensive side with timely hitting, bunting and walks applying pressure to a Yale defense that couldn’t keep up.

The lineup looked deeper than ever with spots one through nine having their respective moments in both contests.

“Passing the bat,” Swan said. “Having team at-bats is success to me.”