ASU Softball: Sun Devils defeat Utah in a shootout

ASU softball had a nail biter, as the Sun Devils swept Utah after an 18-17 offensive shootout. Allison Tatnall hit a walk-off triple to complete the nine-run comeback in the seventh inning.

Samantha Mejia struggled right off the bat, as Ally Dickman hit a two-run home run in the first inning to give the Utes an early lead. Mejia’s struggles kept rolling, as she gave up a few more hits in the inning but did not allow another run.

“In the circle on Sunday, that’s a bit rough”, ASU coach Trisha Ford said.

The offense also started slow, as the Sun Devils could not register a hit and dropped in the game early. Right after, the Utes kept the bats flying as Dickman hit a single and picked up another RBI for her team.

By the bottom of the second inning, it seemed like the Sun Devils were ready to take over. Maddi Hackbarth put the team back in it after hitting a two-run home run. Later on in the inning, her sister, Kindra Hackbarth, stepped up to the plate hit a three-run home run.

By the end of three innings, the Sun Devils took a small 5-3 lead.

However, the Utes capped off Mejia and racked up some more runs. Ellessa Bonstrom hit a lead-off home run. Then, designated player Mikayla Hurst stepped up and doubled in two runs to give the Utes the lead once again. The Sun Devils’ bats seemed to drop off, as they were shut out in the third and fourth inning, but the Utes then ran up the score.

More from Devils in Detail

In the fourth inning, the Utes added two more runs and three more in the fifth. Heading into the bottom of the fifth, the Sun Devils were dealing with the run rule as they were down 13-5. ASU decided to tackle the challenge and keep the game alive.

Jade Gortarez doubled in Morgan Howe and Skylar McCarty. After staring down the pitcher, Sydney Sandez, for an inside pitch, Hackbarth railed a ball to deep center for her second home run of the game.

After the four runs, the Sun Devils only trailed 13-9. The lowest scoring inning was the sixth, as the Utes only put up one run and the Sun Devils were shut down.

By the seventh inning, it appeared Utah capped off the game after back-to-back home runs by Abby Robertson and BreOnna Castaneda. The Utes added one more run to finish the top of the seventh with a 17-9 lead.

Instead of dropping the game, the Sun Devils’ bats lived up to the challenge. Maddi Hackbarth believed it is something the team could handle.

“For us, we can get hit with any certain amount of of punches, but we are going to punch that much harder back,” she said. “I am really proud of these guys.”

Maddi Hackbarth began the momentum with her third home run of the game and 16th of the season. Kindra Hackbarth matched her sister by putting up a three-run home run to inch even closer to the 17 runs.

With two outs and down by four, McCarty reached base with a hit-by-pitch. Howe walked and Gortarez doubled in McCarty. Maddi Hackbarth was up and ready to tie up the game until the Utes decided to intentionally walk her.

Utah substituted Chantelle Lander in as the new pitcher to face DeNae Chatman. Chatman had the dream of bases loaded, two outs, full count, and she was the winning run. However, she was walked and Tatnall stepped in one last time.

Tatnall had the bases loaded and the count running up on her. Tatnall battled hard and capitalized on the perfect pitch, as she lined one that reached the wall. Every runner ran their hardest and rounded third to score with Tatnall ending at third.

The crowd went wild as Tatnall hit a walk-off triple and capped off the sweep against the Utes.

“It’s great to have all the hard work pay off. But not just for me, but everyone,” Tatnall said.

Next. ASU Softball: Sun Devils’ hot offense sparks blowout win over Utah. dark

ASU softball continues its season against Arizona on March 29 in Tucson, Arizona.

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

Home/ASU Softball