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Softball Looks to Future with Season Conclusion

by thesundevils.com
May 21, 2021

TEMPE, Ariz.-- Despite a victory against Southern Illinois University on Thursday, the No. 15 seed Sun Devil Softball team came up short against Virginia Tech and BYU on Friday, ending Arizona State's postseason run in the Tempe Regional. 

Fifth-year head coach Trisha Ford's squad competed in the program's 16th consecutive NCAA postseason appearance before falling short, 2-8, and 8-9, against VT and BYU, respectively. 

"I'm very thankful to be hosting, being able to have fans, and being able to have our kids that are not returning next year be able to play in front of our fans I think is tremendous," Ford said. 

"I just want to thank the administration and everybody that put this together and making this engine run… I am a very, very  small part of it, and I am just really appreciative of everybody's time and effort to get us on the field and hosting here."

In game one, the Sun Devils smacked two long balls, courtesy of Makenna Harper and Bella Loomis. In their first Regional tournament, Jazmine Hill and Yanni Acuña launched two bombs against the Cougars. The Sun Devils dished out a gutty seven innings against BYU, coming back after being down and then losing by one run in the seventh. Lindsay Lopez threw 14 innings and 279 pitches over three starts in the postseason. ASU's underclassmen Jazmine Hill and Yannira Acuna carried the long ball log, each with a home run against the Cougs. 
 

"These are great moments for our kids," said head coach Trisha Ford. "Yanni hasn't gone through regionals before, so to come up in the seventh inning and have a big ball, she squared that up and worked that count. Sav had a good at bat and it didn't go her way, but these are all things that are really, really good for us. This is the first year Lindsay has thrown, she logged a lot of innings for us. She gave us everything she had. She gutted it out. I think there are just a lot of good things though, especially with the young ones."
 

 

GAME ONE: ASU 2, VIRGINIA TECH 8
HOW IT HAPPENED

  • Virginia Tech took the first lead of the game with three runs in the top of the first inning, and ASU left a runner on base to end the first.
  • Cielo Meza entered for the Sun Devils to start the second inning. The Hokies extended their lead to 4-0 with a run in the second. 
  • Makenna Harper launched a solo shot in the second to cut the Hokies lead to three. 
  • Virginia Tech tacked on two runs with a homer in the fourth to lead 6-1.
  • Bella Loomis ledoff the fifth with a shot to center to make it a four run game, but the Hokies battled back with a homer of their own to make it a 7-2 game. 
  • Back-to-back singles from Harper and Denae Chatman had runners on first and second with two outs, but the Sun Devils left them stranded.
  • Virginia Tech added a run in the eighth to extend their lead and close out the game.

GAME TWO: ASU 8, BYU 9
HOW IT HAPPENED

  • ASU got a runner on, but stranded Maddi Hackbarth at first base in the top of the first. BYU jumped on an early 2-0 lead in the first. 
  • Back to back singles had runners on the corners for Chatman, and a double play fielder's choice brought in a run to cut the BYU lead to one. 
  • With two outs, BYU brought in two runs with a shot to center for a 4-1 lead.
  • Loomis singled, and K. Hackbarth singled and reached second on an error to put both runners in scoring position for Alynah Torres who brought them both home with a double to left to bring ASU within one.
  • BYU picked up a run in the third to make it a 5-3 game. 
  • ASU had two runners on with one out in the fourth inning, but could not bring them home, and held BYU scoreless in their half of the fourth. 
  • Torres's double advanced Hill to third and had them both in scoring position, and Acuña walked to have the bases loaded for Harper. A sac fly brought Hill in from home to bring it back to a run one deficit. A wild pitch brought two runners home to give ASU the 6-5 lead over the Cougars. 
  • With two outs in the sixth inning, Jazmine Hill launched a solo shot to center to extend the ASU lead 7-5. BYU added four runs in the sixth to make it a 9-7 game. 
  • Acuña led off the seventh inning with a shot to right field to bring ASU within one run.

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