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Softball Looks to Carry 32-Run Weekend into Tuesday's Doubleheader

by thesundevils.com
Feb 15, 2021

Softball Game Notes Week 2

TEMPE, Ariz. -- Thirty-two runs. Say it with us again, 32 runs in four games. If that's not the way to bounce back after a canceled season, No. 15 Sun Devil Softball isn't listening. After an opening weekend gone viral, Arizona State Softball (4-0) looks to stoke the offensive fire in a mid-week doubleheader against Cal State Fullerton (2-2) on Tuesday afternoon at Alberta B. Farrington Softball Stadium.

Missed THAT viral bat flip tweet from last weekend? We've got you covered:

The two programs have met 50 times, with an even split of 25 wins apiece. ASU is hungry to get in the win column against the Titans after CSUF stole a 4-3 win last year at the Mary Nutter Classic. 

ASU boasts a team batting average of .356 with 32 runs on 36 hits and 101 at-bats. The Sun Devils totaled 71 bases and got on first for free 12 times. Through Kajikawa, ASU notched a .703 slugging percentage and on-base percentage of .445. 

The Devils and Titans' clash is closed to fans per the Pac-12 Conference guidelines, but fans can watch the doubleheader on the ASU Live Stream. 

SUN DEVIL REWIND

  • Never count the Sun Devils out of a ball game. ASU found themselves down three runs in the seventh inning and fought back to send the duel to extra innings. Enter Alli "Walkoff" Tatnall. The fifth-year has a knack for walk-offs, and she came packing on Thursday night, hitting a two-run walk-off to defeat the Cougars and complete the doubleheader sweep. Watch the cinematic recap:

  • Friday night brought more highlights as freshman rightie Allison Royalty ascended the throne on the mound. She collected eight strikeouts through five innings pitched in her first collegiate start. 
  • Saturday night was the grand finale of the Sun Devil offensive showcase. ASU wasted no time in initializing their high run-scoring offense. Jazmine Hill homered in the second for three RBI, followed by back-to-back dingers from Bella Loomis and Maddi Hackbarth. Denae Chatman got in on the moonshots, notching three RBI on a home run to left field.


 

  • Cielo Meza started in the circle on Saturday night, throwing six strikeouts in four innings. Utah found a couple of opportunities to get on the board in the fourth, and sophomore leftie Lindsay Lopez entered as a relief to freeze the Utes' efforts. Lopez threw four strikeouts with zero runs and one walk. 

SHOW ME THE FACTS

  • With four wins last weekend, Coach Ford is two away from 300 career wins as a head coach. 
  • ASU's sweep of BYU on Thursday, February 11, was the first same-day doubleheader sweep of the same team since the Sun Devils defeated Minnesota (9-1, 4-0) on March 11, 2018, at Farrington. 
  • On Thursday's second game, the Sun Devils came back from a three-run deficit to secure the sweep in extras. The last time the Sun Devils won after trailing by at least three runs was THAT famous game against Utah on March 24, 2019. 
  • In that same game, ASU trailed by three runs in the seventh inning until Maddi Hackbarth hit a double to right field to tie the game at 5. The last time ASU won after trailing heading into the seventh inning was ANOTHER viral game, vs. No. 10 Kentucky at last year's Kajikawa Classic.
  • The Sun Devils hit at least one home run in each game of the Kajikawa Classic last week. ASU showed off the long ball against Utah - sending four over the fences (from four different players) - in the team's 9-4 win. 
  • M. Hackbarth boasts 38 career home runs on her chase for ASU's single-season home run record. 

SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION

  • Two freshmen fill the Titans long ball log in 2021 - Hannah Becerra (1.000BA, 2AB) and KK Humphreys (.364BA, 10AB, 3H)
  • Another rookie, Bailey Wallace, leads the team's batting average (with at least eight at-bats) with a .429 percentage. She's scored three runs on six hits. 
  • Three Titans are tied for the team-high in RBIs with three each: senior catcher Julia Valenzuela, freshman Humphreys, and sophomore infielder Alyssa Hernandez.
  • The team averages a .289 batting average with 13 runs scored through four games played. 

 

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