Mercury slides to 2-3 after home loss to Mystics

By Scott Mammoser

PHOENIX – Kristi Toliver stepped up in the absence of Elena Delle Donne, scoring 30 points to lead the Washington Mystics to a 103-95 victory at the Phoenix Mercury on Wednesday night. Brittney Griner and DeWanna Bonner scored 27 and 25 points for the Mercury, which has lost three consecutively.

Phoenix Mercury has lost 3 straight games

“That’s my job,” said Toliver, who is averaging 15.2 points and is looking to return to her All-Star status from five years ago. “When we’re down a couple of people, everyone needs to elevate their game, and you have to do that both when you’re short people, but when you get people back. It’s good to have that experience to grow and know what they’re capable of in order to contribute.”

On the other side, the Mercury allowed Washington to shoot 65 percent from outside in a game where officiating dictated sour reactions from coaches, players and fans.

“We have some amazing athletes out there, and we just want to watch them play,” Mercury coach Sandy Brondello said. “I thought Washington had more advantages tonight. We can’t change the refs, but we know we can play better, and we have to have our game do the talking.”

After a tight opening first quarter, where no team led by more than four, Griner was 6-for-7 from the field with 13 points. The Mystics opened a 49-43 lead at halftime, with Toliver heating up and the defense holding Griner to two points. The lead swelled to 22 in the third, and the Mystics were on their way to improving to 5-1, a night after losing their first game- by four points at Seattle.

“We just have to play better, it’s as simple as that,” Mercury guard Diana Taurasi said. “I’m tired talking about what we need to do better and this and that. At the end of the day, it’s just a simple basketball game. You need to find a way to score more points than the other team, and we’re complicating ourselves with a lot of talk. We just need to do what we need to do to win the game.”

Mercury allowed Washington to shoot 65% outside

Washington snapped an eight-game losing streak to the Mercury and won in Phoenix for the first time since July 1, 2010. Ariel Atkins, the rookie from Texas, scored a career-high 21 points, and Tianna Hawkins recorded a double-double of 13 points and 12 rebounds, the first of her career.

Already missing Tayler Hill with a torn ACL and Emma Meesseman training with the Belgian national team for the upcoming World Cup, Natasha Cloud was sidelined with kidney stones, and Delle Donne was listed with an illness. In addition, Mercury center Angel Robinson, signed this week to replace the waived Imani Wright, did not see action.

The Mercury is at their archrival defending champion Minnesota Lynx (who are only 2-3 to start the season) at 5 p.m. on Friday (ESPN2), and after two more road games, returns home to face Chicago at 7 p.m. on June 8. The Mystics are at Las Vegas on Friday night.

Devils Lose Final Series but Stand Proud on Tough Season

Mike Stockman

PHOENIX, AZ (May 24, 2018) - The Arizona State University Sun Devils hosted Pac-12 rival California Golden Bears for the final three game series of the season that featured the two top home run hitters in NCAA Baseball. Freshman Spencer Torkelson of the Devils leads NCAA with 25 home runs this year and the Bears' sophomore Andrew Vaughn has cleared the fence 23 times.

Devils win game one in walk off single, 5-4.

In game one on Thursday night, Devils' Gage Canning added to his total hit count of 17 doubles on the season.

In the bottom of the second inning, Gage Workman hit a two run home run over left field wall giving the Devils a 2-0 lead.

In the top of the third, the Bears' Korey Lee slams a home run over center field making the score 2-1.

The Devils extended the lead to 3-1 in the bottom of the third inning when Spencer Torkelson scored from first base on an RBI double to the left field corner by Carter Aldrete.

The Bears score one in the sixth inning. In the seventh with bases loaded, the Bears add  two to take the lead 4-3. 

In the bottom of the ninth with one out, Lyle Lin hit an RBI double tying the game.  Hunter Bishop hit a hard shot up the middle allowing Lin to score from second, ending game one by a score of 5-4.

Devils get shut out in final game 3-0 to the Bears

Game two featured Torklenson's 19th multi-hit outing this season which contributed to two of the four runs posted by the Devils.  The Devils would fall to the Bears in the ninth inning with two outs when a two run RBI made the score 6-4 in favor of the Bears. The Devils were unable to repeat Thursday's walk-off win.

The final game of the season was uneventful until a two error play allowed one runner and the batter Jonah Davis to score, giving the Bears a 2-0 lead in the top of the third inning.

In the top of the fourth, the Bears' Andrew Vaughn hit an RBI single extending the score to 3-0 over the Devils.

In the final inning of the season, with one out, the Devils' Carter Aldrete hit a single up the middle, sparking the crowd. The Devils were shut out when Lyle Lin hit into a double play, ending the game 3-0 in favor of the Bears. 

After the game, Head Coach Tracy Smith held a 20 minute press conference in which he stated 'I can't say enough about those five seniors...because of their experience will probably make them better...they're gonna win in life - I can tell you that". When talking about the things that he wish would have been better this year, he mention ' defensively - you get better or you get worse. I think we're gonna get better".  When asked what he thought he accomplished most this year he said "I know we were gonna be up and down...". He then stated "treating these guys the right way - treating them with respect" explaining that is what he was the proudest of "that's a strong locker room. They held together".

Coach Smith wanted his seniors to experience their last game and cherish the moment. 
Eli Lingos, a senior pitched 6.0 innings, giving up three hits, one walk, and six strike outs.
Grant Schneider was the starting pitcher, going 2.2 innings allowing two hits, two walks, on run, and three strike outs.

Lingos and Schneider talk about lessons learned at ASU

When the seniors were asked what they learned from their experience putting the uniform on for the very first time to this last time, Eli Lingos responded - "you wanna go out on a good note...I wish we could have gotten a W but it was good." He had this to say to the younger players - "you wanna stay positive, maintain a better feeling through the year." As for what he learned, he commented "never give in, stay on it, learn to push thru...". Grant Schneider added "it's a grind, 6am in the weight room, 7am classes, degree - it's hard." He learned "how important it is to be a good person".

The Devils (23-32, 13-17) complete their season, finishing seventh in the Pac 12.

Sun Devils sweep South Carolina to punch ticket to Women’s College World Series

By Scott Mammoser

TEMPE, Ariz. – After a five-year hiatus, the Arizona State Sun Devils are back in the Women’s College World Series. A pivotal four-run fifth inning broke a tie with South Carolina, and ASU rolled to a 5-2 victory in the second game of the Super Regional on Saturday night.

The Sun Devils (45-11) made the WCWS seven out of eight seasons between 2006 and 2013, winning the national championship in 2008 and 2011 and establishing themselves as one of NCAA softball’s premier programs. This also marks the first career WCWS appearance for head coach Trisha Ford, the third coach ASU has hired since Clint Myers departed for Auburn in 2013.

Coach Trisha Ford taking ASU back to WCWS

“I’m just so proud of this group,” Ford said. “Nobody would have thought at the beginning of the year we would be here except for us. This is why I came to ASU, to get ASU back to the World Series. I said that in my interview. I don’t think it’s sunk in yet, but we’re going to the Series.”

ASU freshman catcher Rylee Maston decided on a pretty good time to pick up the first hit of her career. Entering the contest 0-for-10 in 13 games played, Maston delivered a double in the top of the second that sent Jade Gortarez to third with two outs. Skylar McCarty drove Gortarez home for the 1-0 lead on the ensuing play.

Designated as the home team, South Carolina (49-17) tied it in the bottom of the fourth, when freshman Alyssa Kumiyama singled to score classmate Jana Johns from third base. The Gamecocks left two runners stranded, as ASU picked up consecutive bounces towards first to end the inning.

Taylor Becerra loaded the bases for the Sun Devils in the top of the fifth with no outs. Morgan Howe, hitting more than .360, scored McCarty to reclaim the lead, and freshman designated player DeNae Chatman doubled to center for three more RBIs and still no outs. Kelsey Oh replaced Cayla Drotar on the mound for the Gamecocks, maybe a little too late. The Gamecocks added a run with two outs in the bottom of the sixth, when Tiara Duffy’s double scored Johns, who was 2-for-4.

“Today’s game didn’t turn out the way we hoped, but I am so proud of this team,” South Carolina coach Beverly Smith said. “This difference in this season was a shift in the culture and how they competed. We have a lot to look forward to. We have a great incoming class and we built a foundation.”

Sr. Macha shines in her last ASU home appearance

Breanna Macha tossed six strikeouts for the win (16-6) in the senior’s final appearance at Farrington Stadium. Macha made possibly the defensive play of the game in the first inning, catching a Drotar line drive and throwing out Mackenzie Boesel at first base.

“To finally live our dream out in OKC…,” Macha was at a loss for words. “Hats off to them because they did battle until the last out. We just needed to fight harder. It just shows the grittiness of this team. I’m always going to go out there and compete on every pitch.”

The eighth-seeded Sun Devils will face a top-seeded Oregon team in the first game of the WCWS on May 31 at Oklahoma City. The Ducks went 2-1 at ASU in mid-April, winning 5-0 and 9-1, before being shutout 4-0 in the finale. Two-time defending champion Oklahoma, Washington, Georgia, Florida, and UCLA also have advanced to the double elimination playoff of eight teams, while Florida State and LSU will meet in a decisive third game at noon PT on Sunday to qualify for the final spot.

“It means everything,” ASU senior second baseman Marisa Stankiewicz added. “Getting recruited to come here, their tradition going to the WCWS, and not being able to go the first three years was tough because we knew we had the talent. To finally do it our senior year means a lot.” 

Sun Devils one win shy of WCWS after setting tone early against South Carolina

By Scott Mammoser

ASU Softball one step closer to WCWS

TEMPE, Ariz. – Eighth-seeded Arizona State just might be the hottest team still alive in the NCAA Women’s Softball Championship. While the seven other Super Regionals have produced a slew of one-run nail biters, the Sun Devils opened their best-of-three series with No. 9 South Carolina, no-hitting the Gamecocks through six innings and winning 5-2 on Friday.

Through four games this postseason, ASU (44-11) has outscored its opponents 23-3, including 21-3 versus high-caliber SEC teams. The second game begins at 6 p.m. on Saturday from Farrington Stadium, and a decisive third game would be at 6 p.m. on Sunday.

“We came out with a lot of focus,” ASU coach Trisha Ford said. “When we play our game, good things happen. They did a great job tonight. This team is special, and they have the ability to beat teams in a variety of ways. At this point in the season, we’re prepared for whatever is thrown at us.”

The Sun Devils started early, with Morgan Howe’s triple in the bottom of the first bringing Taylor Becerra all the way around from first to home. In the second, Jade Gortarez sent the first pitch she faced over the center field fence for a three-run home run, her eighth of the season. Two more runs scored in the bottom of the fourth, as Skylar McCarty drove home Gortarez, then passed home herself on a Howe single. Howe finished the game 3-for-3 with two RBIs.

“It’s great to be a part of something like this,” Howe said. “Coach tells us to score early, score often. Whenever we score first it’s a good thing, and it gives us momentum.”

Juarez gets the win with 8 strike outs

Just as she did in the regional round, ASU pitcher Giselle ‘G’ Juarez carried her no-hitter into the top of the seventh. Gamecocks catcher Alyssa VanDerveer broke it up with a leadoff single, and leftfielder Kennedy Clark smashed a home run to center to bring South Carolina (49-16) within three runs. Juarez (26-4) still finished with eight strikeouts, while South Carolina’s Dixie Raley and Kelsey Oh combined for six.

“Uncharacteristically, we gave up a lot of runs,” Gamecocks coach Beverly Smith said. “Certainly, the field plays very fast here, so we’ll be ready for that tomorrow. Getting the hits in the seventh was very important. We’ll be ready to go tomorrow. This team is going to battle until the end, we have a never give up attitude.”

First quarter Mercury lead evaporates in loss to Storm

By Scott Mammoser

PHOENIX – A 31-point second quarter allowed the Seattle Storm to erase a double-digit deficit and win at the Phoenix Mercury, 87-71, on Wednesday, with Jewell Loyd scoring 22 of her 29 in the second half.

Double-digit lead evaporates in loss to Storm

“We just didn’t execute very well,” Mercury coach Sandy Brondello said. “It’s hard to keep a great player (Loyd) down two games in a row. It’s a game we can learn a lot from. I say, ‘Welcome to the WNBA,’ you never know what you’re going to get, every single game. That’s how strong this league is.”

The Mercury (2-1) scored the first eight points of the game, until Loyd scored at the 7:20 mark. Briann January answered with a three, and the largest Mercury lead would be 13-2. 

Things came apart for the Mercury shortly after, as the Storm (1-1) found its rhythm, coming within 20-15 after the first, taking a 23-22 lead and widening the lead to 46-33 at the half. Breanna Stewart and Sue Bird knocked down consecutive three pointers to bring Seattle to the break. Phoenix cut it to 62-57 after three behind Griner’s nine and Taurasi’s seven points in the period.

“We had a lack of focus from a veteran team like this, it’s unacceptable,” Taurasi said. “We take that one on the chin. The WNBA season is a work in progress because it’s so short. Week to week, month to month, you’re trying to figure out what works best against certain teams, and today wasn’t one of those days.”

The fourth quarter saw Loyd add 14 points and Alysha Clark eight of her 16 for the Storm, as it redeemed itself from Sunday’s 87-82 loss to the Mercury in its home opener. Loyd was 3-of-11 for 10 points in that game, as Brondello referenced earlier. Griner, who had 29 points and 10 rebounds in Sunday’s win, scored 18 on Wednesday, Taurasi finished with 23, and DeWanna Bonner grabbed nine rebounds, eight on the defensive side.

“It’s early, we can’t panic,” Mercury forward Camille Little said. “We missed shots, they made shots, it’s not a good thing, it happens.”

The Mercury is at the Sparks at 2 p.m. on Sunday and returns home at 7 p.m. May 30 to meet the Washington Mystics. The Storm hosts Chicago at 7 p.m. on Friday, its first non-Mercury opponent this season, including two preseason games with Phoenix.

“We treated tonight like a playoff game,” first-year Storm coach Dan Hughes said about seeing the same opponent so many times. “We had a couple of days to make adjustments, and we used it the same way we would for the playoffs.”

Sun Devils obliterate Rebels to punch ticket to Super Regionals

By Scott Mammoser

Sun Devils celebrate victory at NCAA Regionals

TEMPE, Ariz. – The Arizona State softball team put together a dominating effort to eliminate the University of Mississippi, 9-0 in five innings, and advance to its first NCAA Super Regional since 2013, also the year of its last Women’s College World Series appearance. 

The eighth-seeded Sun Devils went a perfect 3-0 in the Tempe Regional and outscored its opponents (New Mexico State and Ole Miss twice) 18-1.

“I’m so proud of them tonight,” ASU coach Trisha Ford said. “Pitching, defense, all facets of our game were rolling. They did a great job of executing their plan. They were focused, and you could see it in their eyes. I enjoyed watching them compete, and this is the type of team I like to coach.”

ASU will host ninth-seeded South Carolina in the Super Regional next weekend in a best-of-three format. The Gamecocks needed to beat Liberty twice on Sunday to advance. All 16 of the top-seeded host teams moved on to the Super Regionals, and all except defending champion Oklahoma and Florida State represent either the SEC or Pac-12 Conference. 

The Sun Devils scored five of their runs in the first and four in the third inning. With runners on the corners and no outs, freshman designated player DeNae Chatman smacked a three-run home run to left for the early lead. Jade Gortarez drove home Marisa Stankiewicz to make it 4-0, and a fifth run scored on a sacrifice fly to right.

Gortarez then delivered an RBI single with no outs in the bottom of the third, and an error on the same play scored two more runs and landed her on third base. Taylor Becerra, who was 2-for-3 on the day scored Maddi Hackbarth for the ninth run.

Coach Ford inserted Breanna Macha at the mound to rest starter Giselle “G” Juarez to begin the fourth. Each pitcher had three strikeouts, and Juarez was credited with the win to improve to 24-4.

Juarez credited with the win, improving her record to 24-4.

“At the beginning of the season, I said our goal was to win a national championship,” the senior Macha said. “This really builds our confidence, and we’re ready to go. Coach says that preparation leads to success, and we had a big week of preparation this week.”

The Rebels season ends at 32-25, a year in which it finished in 12^th place in a deep SEC that sent every team to the NCAA Tournament. Brittany Finney started with three strikeouts, and Kaitlin Lee was credited with the loss (18-14).

“We lost to a really good ball club,” Ole Miss coach Mike Smith said. “You’re probably going to see them in Oklahoma City, and I say that knowing they’re going to be playing South Carolina, an SEC school. It’s going to be a great series. Whoever comes out of this region is going to be battle tested to compete for a national championship.”

Sun Devils advance to final round of NCAA Softball Tempe Regional

By Scott Mammoser

Marisa Stankiewicz hits home run to right field in top of 5th

TEMPE, Ariz. – Despite being designated the road team, Arizona State reversed the result of last year’s NCAA Softball Championship Regional, shutting down Ole Miss, 7-1, on Saturday. Through two wins, ASU has only allowed one run score and will play for the right to host the Super Regional at 6 p.m. on Sunday.

The Rebels beat the Sun Devils 2-0 at Oxford, Miss., in the opening game of the second day last year. 

North Carolina would later defeat ASU, and Ole Miss would top the Tar Heels to advance to the Super Regional for the first time in program history.

“I’m very proud of our effort today, every inning,” ASU coach Trisha Ford said. “We just did a tremendous job coming out. We just executed our game, that’s our game. We have to get every run we can possibly get because this is tough.”

Morgan Howe led off the second with a double, and after a wild pitch, scored on a Jade Gortarez ground out. The eighth-seeded Sun Devils (45-11) made it 2-0 in the top of the third, after Howe singled home Taylor Becerra with two outs. The play was overturned, as originally, Becerra was called out at home, and the Ole Miss players left the field. The Rebels (31-24) managed to escape the rest of the inning, after allowing the bases to be loaded.

Hackbarth's home run clears centerfield fence

The momentum spread to the fourth, as Kindra Hackbarth smacked a three-run home run over the centerfield fence to make it 5-0. The Rebels made a change at the mound, inserting freshman Ava Tillmann, who retired the rest of the side.

With one out in the top of the fifth, Marisa Stankiewicz increased the lead to six with a solo shot to right. Becerra scored Hackbarth for an insurance run in the top of the sixth.

“Being in our hometown, being in the dry heat, and having the crowd behind us, it means a lot,” the senior Stankiewicz added.

Abbey Latham, who hit two home runs against Long Beach State on Friday, sent a solo shot to left with no outs to open the bottom of the seventh to put the Rebels on the board. The freshman designated player has three of her seven homers on the year in this Tempe Regional. It also brought back flashes of ASU’s 2-0 win over New Mexico State on Friday night, as the Sun Devils entered the final inning with a no-hitter before loading the bases.

“The first thing today, I felt like we weren’t as focused as we needed to be,” Latham said. “But, it’s my role as a DP to just hit, so I’m not on the field to make any defensive plays, I just hit.”

Sr. Breanna Macha finished with 9 strike outs 

Breanna Macha finished with nine strikeouts and three hits allowed for ASU, and Coach Ford mentioned how she regularly speaks to the senior about her goals.

“I had a great week of preparation, and it goes to show,” Macha said. “It was our goal this year to get to Super Regionals, and I think this shows all of the work we put in.”

ASU and Juarez survive late scare from New Mexico State on first day of Tempe Regional

By Scott Mammoser

TEMPE, Ariz. – It had been four years – an entire senior class ago – since Arizona State last hosted an NCAA Softball Championship Regional. In response, Giselle Juarez pitched 10 strikeouts and the eighth-seeded Sun Devils shut down New Mexico State, 2-0, on Friday night.

Pac-12 Coach of the Year Trisha Ford leading team to victory

Morgan Howe drove in two runners in the top of the first, before being thrown out at third base, as the Sun Devils took the early lead. That would be all they needed from the offense, but after six hit-less innings from Juarez, ASU survived a scare in the seventh. Two-time WAC Player of the Year Kelsey Horton, hitting over .400, sent the first pitch of the top of the seventh to deep left for a single.

“It took us some time before we figured her out,” Horton said of Juarez. “Unfortunately, it had to be the last inning, but we were on her.”

First baseman Fahren Glackin followed Horton with a single to center that could have been extra bases if not for the defensive efforts of ASU right fielder Kindra Hackbarth, knocking down the ball with her mitt. A walk loaded the bases with one out. Then, pinch hitter Shelby Shultes hit a line drive

to third, where Taylor Becerra picked off the lead runner to end the game.

“The first game is always hard,” said ASU coach Trisha Ford, who was recently named Pac-12 Coach of the Year. “We do a really good job of when we put up runs, ‘G’ (Juarez) closes it out. The pitching coach would like to have more runs, but we are who we are, and I think we do a good job of complementing them.”

The Sun Devils (44-11) and Aggies (29-22) met at two different times this regular season, with ASU winning 3-0 and 5-1.

“It was nerve racking and took me back to the beginning of the season,” the freshman Howe said. “I had butterflies, but they were the good ones.”

In the opening game on Friday, freshman designated player Abbey Latham smacked two home runs to lead Ole Miss over Long Beach State 9-1. Latham, batting merely .224, hit only four home runs on the season until now.  She led off the sixth with a solo shot to left, then found herself on deck with one out in the seventh and delivered a two-run homer, as the Rebels scored five in the final inning.

The Sun Devils and Rebels (31-23) will meet in the winner’s bracket at 2 p.m. on Saturday, with New Mexico State and Long Beach State (42-13) following them. The loser of the first game and the victor of the second will play one more elimination game on Saturday night for the right to face the early winner on Sunday night at 6 p.m.

Sun Devils mercy rule Stanford on eve of Senior Day

By Scott Mammoser

TEMPE, Ariz. – The No. 8-ranked Arizona State softball team breezed past Stanford, 8-0, in five innings on Saturday night, with home runs off the bats of Danielle Gibson and Kindra Hackbarth. It was the sixth-consecutive win for ASU (41-9, 14-6 Pacific-12), while Stanford fell to 23-28 and 2-18.

“We came into that box and did some damage,” ASU coach Trisha Ford said. “Sometimes we rush things. This game is made to be played fast, but it can’t be played quickly. You have to understand the rhythm and make sure you are playing that same rhythm.”

Coach Ford laughed that she was much more pleased with Saturday’s victory than Friday’s 4-3 seventh-inning comeback win that had six errors.  

The Sun Devils scored their first six runs with two outs over the first two innings. In the bottom of the first, a Morgan Howe double scored Taylor Becerra, and Jade Gortarez produced a two-run triple. To begin the second, Stanford put its first two runners on base, and they would ultimately be thrown out at home. ASU left fielder Skylar McCarty contradicted the trend by beating a throw to home with two outs in the bottom of the second. The next pitch ended over the center field fence - a two-run Danielle Gibson home run, her 12^th of the year.

ASU's Danielle Gibson scores big at the plate and at first base.

“I had been struggling a little bit at the plate lately,” Gibson said. “I turned on time and stuck to my plan and it felt good. It was a regular inside pitch. I tell myself not to swing at a change up and wait for a hard pitch.”

Kindra Hackbarth added a lead-off solo shot on her first pitch in the bottom of the fourth. Becerra, the junior third baseman, ended up 3-for-3 with three runs, while Gortarez was 2-for-2. Breanna Macha threw four strikeouts and allowed two hits (to Stanford’s Whitney Burks and Molly Fowkes) on the mound. Macha, from Mesa Red Mountain High School, headlines ASU’s senior class this year.

“It’s senior weekend, so we want to come out here and have fun,” Macha said. “I’ve made great relationships with the girls on the team. These are going to be life-long friends; I always say that, girls who are going to be in my wedding. I couldn’t ask for better teammates.”

Danielle after her walk-off double for the win.

The Sun Devils’ final regular season home game is at 1 p.m. on Sunday against the Cardinal, before they travel to No. 1 UCLA for three games May 10-12. ASU is comfortably in position to host a regional the following week.

“To see what they’ve done for this program, it speaks high volume for what kind of kids they are, not players, but people,” Ford said. “Macha is somebody who I would go into battle with her day in and day out. I want them to play the game the way it’s supposed to be played. At the end of the day, they are the ones who are responsible for us being in this situation.”