Tuscaloosa, Ala. – The Arizona State softball team topped Lipscomb, 10-1, in the Sun Devils' third appearance of the 2019 Tuscaloosa Regional Saturday afternoon, setting up a rematch between the Sun Devils and Crimson Tide in Sunday's Tuscaloosa Regional Final.
"This was a great team win," head coach
Trisha Ford said of the run-rule victory. "We hit some balls hard and had some loud-outs through the fourth inning, but just couldn't get anything to drop. I think it was a good indicator of who we are to see us fight through it. I am really proud of our team. After a tough game against Alabama, to play a really good Lipscomb team who is really well coached, tough and gritty; I am just happy that we got it done and will be here tomorrow."
In the circle,
Samantha Mejia anchored the Sun Devil defense, throwing six innings and allowing just one-run on five hits while striking out seven.
With the Sun Devils unable to jumpstart their offense in the top of the first, it was the Bison who would score the game's first run on fielding miscue in the home half of the frame.
Following a shutdown inning from Mejia in the second, the Sun Devils struck back in the third with an RBI single off the bat of
Kindra Hackbarth to make it a 1-1 game.
With neither team able to bring in a run through the fourth, it was the Bison who put pressure on in the bottom of the fifth. With a pair of runners in scoring position and just one away, Mejia worked a strikeout and a ground out to turn Lipscomb away empty handed for the fourth-straight inning.
In the sixth, The Sun Devils blew the game open, bringing in nine-runs on six hits.
Skylar McCarty got things going for ASU, working a leadoff-double to the gap in left field, before
Kindra Hackbarth was put on via an intentional walk. Junior
Jade Gortarez brought in the go-ahead run with an RBI single to right to make it a 2-1 game.
In the very next at-bat,
Maddi Hackbarth reach on a walk, loading the bases for pinch-hitter Alli Tatnall. The junior did her job, lifting a high-fly ball to the wall in right, bringing in K. Hackbarth for the second ASU run in the frame.
After a walk to Accuna in the next at-bat, sophomore
Kiara Kennedy came through with a two-RBI single to left-center that made it 5-1 in favor of the Sun Devils. One batter later,
Bella Loomis added two more with a single to right, before Gortarez added even more insurance with a single through the middle, pushing the Sun Devils out front, 10-1.
"At one point or another we knew we would get one to fall," Gortarez said of the big-inning. "Like coach Ford said, we were hitting the ball pretty hard, but right at people. We just had to believe that eventually they were going to fall and go our way there at the end."
With a run-rule in their sights, Mejia and the Sun Devil defense held the Bison off the board, and advance to the Tuscaloosa Regional Final.
The Sun Devils will be back in action tomorrow morning, facing the eighth seeded Crimson Tide for a chance to advance to the Super Regionals. Because of the double elimination format of NCAA Postseason, the Sun Devils will need to defeat the Tide in back-to-back games Sunday, starting with game one at 11 a.m. AZT. Fans can follow all of the action from the 2019 Tuscaloosa Regional by following @ASUSoftball on Twitter.
Game 1:
Friday –
Arizona State 4 vs. Lipscomb 3
Game 2:
Friday –
No. 8 Alabama 8. Alabama St. 2
Game 3:
Saturday – Arizona State 4 vs. No. 8
Alabama 7
Game 4:
Saturday –
Lipscomb 14 vs. Alabama State 0
Game 5:
Saturday – Lipscomb 1 vs.
Arizona State 10
Game 6:
Sunday – No. 8 Alabama vs. Arizona State at 11 a.m. AZT
TBA
Game 7:
Sunday – Arizona State vs. No. 8 Alabama at 1:30 p.m. AZT
TBA (if necessary)