No. 12 ASU softball dominates the second day of the Kajikawa Classic going 2-0 and putting up a combined 45 runs in the games.
It was huge offensive innings that bolstered the Sun Devils into large-margin victories.
In the first game of the day, Kansas jumped early on the Sun Devils with a home run from freshman designated hitter Morgyn Wynne. The lead did not last long when the Sun Devils responded with a very strong first inning of their own.
The Sun Devils hit back-to-back singles from junior right fielder Kindra Hackbarth and senior left fielder Skylar McCarty that led to a triple from senior center fielder Morgan Howe. That would not end it for the Sun Devils.
Sophomore first baseman DeNae Chatman singled and later scored on a home run from junior catcher Maddi Hackbarth giving the Sun Devils a five run inning and the lead of 5-1.
The Jayhawks and Sun Devils both were able to add a run before heading into what was a key bottom of the third for ASU. The Sun Devils added six runs in that inning.
The combination of many walks plus a single by M. Hackbarth lead to most of the runs scoring that gave them a 12-2 lead. Hackbarth would continue her solid game by adding a two-run homer that made the score 14-4 heading into the fifth.
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The Jayhawks would respond with two of their own but was unable to avoid the run-rule of eight runs giving the Sun Devils a 14-6 win to start the day.
Junior pitcher Cielo Meza got her first win of the year in what was a solid outing for her in a game she went three inning pitched, five hits, and three earned runs.
The second game of the day versus Weber State started off with a quiet inning from both teams combining for one hit. Sun Devils would shortly blow the game open by putting up 11 runs in the bottom of the second inning.
Six walks and six hits, which two of them were home runs as freshman left fielder Yannira Acuna hit a three-run homer and M. Hackbarth hit a grand slam, giving the Sun Devils a lead of 11-0.
The Wildcats added one through a home run of their own, but ASU was not finished by adding 10 more runs in the next half inning.
A combination of McCarty’s two run home run, Acuna’s two-run double, sophomore second baseman Bella Loomis’s two-run double, an error throw to home scored two and Howe’s two-run single gave the Sun Devils a 21-1 lead.
That was all the offense needed as Arizona State run-ruled Weber State by that scoreline to improve to 3-1 on the season.
Junior pitcher Samantha Mejia got her second win of the season in a solid outing for her where she went three innings pitched, two hits and give up one unearned run.
The Sun Devils bounced back after losing to Missouri 8-0, getting two run-rules in which head coach Trisha Ford credits the mentality change as a huge factor.
“We came out with a different attitude and approach,” Ford said. “A different mentality in where our bats came alive.”
M. Hackbarth believes it was an important two games for the Sun Devils moving forward into the season.
“Our team needs to get used to being ranked,” M. Hackbarth said. “For us returners, knowing that we are ranked, we have that chip on our shoulders and we need to have that swagger and play ASU softball like the big deal it is.”
ASU heads into the final day of the Kajikawa Classic where they will face CSUN in Farrington Stadium at 2 p.m. MT.
All quotes in this article were obtained firsthand by Devils in Detail unless otherwise noted.