No. 15 Sun Devils obliterate Wright State to open ASU Invitational

March 5, 2020

By Scott Mammoser

TEMPE, Ariz. – Freshman right fielder Jazmine Hill’s two-run home run to center in the bottom of the first opened a 12-0 mercy rule win for the 15^th-ranked Arizona State softball team over Wright State on Friday. It was a rough day for the Raiders (5-19), who lost to Oregon State, 8-0, earlier in the day.

Jazmine Hill hits home run in mercy rule win.

“It was a great game, we did what we were supposed to do offensively,” ASU coach Trisha Ford said. “I didn’t say a lot to them after the game, we took care of business today. We need to refocus and get ready for tomorrow. It’s important for our offense to do what they did tonight, and for some of our young arms to get into these games they are just going to get better and better.”

Following Hill’s first-inning homer, Makenna Harper knocked a grand slam over the left field fence with two strikes and two outs to increase the Sun Devils’ lead to 7-0.

“It made it better because all of my teammates were on base,” the sophomore Harper said of her first home run. “I feel like we’re putting in all of this hard work and it’s paying off. I was just trying to execute and get some runs for the team. I was just trying to get the job done.”

Hill followed up in the second with a lead off triple that was nearly an inside the park home run. Then, Maddi Hackbarth executed a two-run home run with no outs to make it 10-0, followed by a DeNae Chatman solo shot.

“Going into each at bat, I have the same approach,” Hackbarth said. “I love these types of games, I root for us to get seven runs in the first inning, I love that experience.”

The good news for the Raiders is that sophomore pitcher Carly Tuner kept ASU off the boards for the final two innings after she came from the bullpen in the bottom of the second. Samantha Mejia struck out six for ASU, which improved to 17-6.

The ASU Invitational continues through Sunday, with Friday’s games including Wright State’s two games with Nebraska and New Mexico State. The Sun Devils will face NMSU at 7 p.m., their lone game of the day, before they play doubleheaders Saturday and Sunday. The team has now won five of six, following a three-game losing streak.