13-run third inning powers Sun Devils over Oregon State

By Scott Mammoser

TEMPE, Ariz. – The 17^th-ranked Arizona State softball team rebounded from a 5-1 conference-opening loss on Friday night, with an 18-2 slaughtering victory over Oregon State on Saturday.

“I was mostly pleased that we bounced back,” said ASU coach Trisha Ford, who won her 100^th game at the school on Saturday. “Offensively, we’re one of the best in the nation, if you look at our stats, and our pitchers are keeping us in the game. We didn’t have any errors today, and that is the key.”

Kindra Hackbarth opened the scoring in the bottom of the first with a 2-0 count home run to the scoreboard. The Beavers (17-6, 1-1 Pac-12) would tie it in the top of the second, as shortstop Maia Rader doubled to center to score Jessica Garcia.

The Sun Devils (21-8, 1-1 Pac-12) poured in 13 runs on 10 hits in the bottom of the third. Hackbarth stole third, then scored on a Skylar McCarty single with a play at the plate. 

Morgan Howe, who was 3-for-4 with three RBIs on the night, then smacked a two-run home run to make it 4-1. DeNae Chatman, who was robbed at the fence by OSU right fielder Ashton Phillips in the second, delivered a two-run homer to center with two outs. Those would be the first two of 10 runs ASU would score with two outs in the inning, including two more on another Hackbarth hit. After all of that, three runners were left on base, as well.

“It’s a fun environment to be in,” Howe said of the inning. “When we are loose, we play well, and that came out tonight.”

McCarty executed a solo shot to center in the fourth to make it 15-1, her fifth of the season. Alli Tatnall kept the home runs coming with a two-run dinger and two outs. Shelby Weeks sent one over the fence for the Beavers in the top of the fifth, giving them some confidence going forward.

Samantha Mejia tossed six strikeouts in the win (11-3) for ASU, while Meehra Nelson was the losing OSU pitcher (5-2).

“It’s a stress relief really,” Mejia said about pitching after the 13-run inning. “To not have that pressure on you, it’s hard when it’s a 1-1 tie game. For our team to be able to do that is a great feeling.”

In the first game of the series, the Sun Devils trailed 5-0 entering the seventh inning, when catcher Maddi Hackbarth hit her first home run of the season, the only points for ASU in the 

game. The final match of the homestand is at noon on Sunday.

“The excitement of our home opener for conference kind of got us last night,” Ford added. 

“We weren’t who we are, we weren’t loose or having fun. I don’t know who we were. It was nice to see my team tonight. I think for us, it’s just keeping things simple and getting pitches to hit.”