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.”