ASU Softball: Breanna Macha pitches Devils into Tempe Regional Final

ASU softball, behind a stellar pitching performance from Breanna Macha, defeated Ole Miss 7-1 Saturday to advance to the Tempe Regional Final.

Arizona State entered Saturday in the same position as last year.

Having won their NCAA Tournament opener, the Sun Devils faced Ole Miss in the 1-0 Game with a trip to the regional final on the line.

The Rebels won that game on their home field 2-0 scoring two runs in the sixth inning. Arizona State wound up losing in an elimination game to North Carolina ending their season.

On a sunny Saturday afternoon, the script was flipped as Arizona State defeated Ole Miss 7-1 on their home field to advance to Sunday’s regional final.

“Obviously, just very proud of their effort today. Yesterday, I said we have to hit harder and we hit it harder today. Great, great at-bats in the box every inning,” head coach Trisha Ford said. “I thought we did a tremendous job coming out. I thought Bre [Macha] threw lights out and she did a phenomenal job. Her changeup was working and it was money. We just executed our game.”

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Senior Breanna Macha started for the Sun Devils and was magnificent throwing a complete game allowing just one run on three hits with a walk and nine strikeouts.

Macha’s only blemish was a seventh-inning solo home run from Rebels designated player Abbey Latham for her third homer of the regional.

After retiring in order in the first inning, the Sun Devils offense scored runs in each of the next five innings with the big hit coming in the fourth inning from right fielder Kindra Hackbarth.

In her first plate appearance, Hackbarth flew out to the warning track in center field just missing a home run. She walked to the dugout frustrated.

Hackbarth came back in her second at-bat against Ole Miss ace pitcher Kaitlin Lee and hit a three-run home run to break the game open.

The homer resulted in Lee being pulled from the game after 3.1 innings pitched allowing five earned runs on six hits.

“Me and Kindra [Hackbarth] have a really great relationship when we’re hitting and what we’re seeing. We come in and talk about everything that’s going on in the box,” Stankiewicz said. “She came in and said, ‘What am I doing wrong? What am I doing wrong?’ I told her nothing is wrong. Don’t change anything and she just happened to hit a home run in her next at-bat.”

The Sun Devils extended their lead to 5-0 and added two more runs on a solo home run from first baseman Marisa Stankiewicz and a sac fly from third baseman Taylor Becerra.

Arizona State will play in the Tempe Regional Final Sunday at 6:30 p.m. PT against the winner of the second elimination game Saturday night.

With the victory, the Sun Devils can now start G Juarez in the first game Sunday night with a trip to the Super Regionals on the line.

Next: ASU Softball: G Juarez shuts out Aggies in NCAA Tournament opener

“My gut told me Bre [Macha] today, honestly. I think both of them could have taken care of business. We’re just very fortunate to have two really good pitchers,” Ford said. “This is Bre’s senior year and if you talk to her, she wants this. Honestly, just very fortunate we have two pitchers that are very competitive and also polar opposites. I think from a preparation standpoint, it’s a nightmare.”

All quotes in this article were obtained firsthand by Devils in Detail unless otherwise noted.

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