Fullerton, Calif. -- The 20th- ranked Arizona State Softball team found themselves victors of a pair of thrillers Saturday in their final day of play at the 2017 Judi Garman Classic hosted by Cal State Fullerton at Anderson Family Field. The Sun Devils defeated South Carolina, 4-3, in a nine-inning effort, before getting past Iowa, 5-4, in a ten inning marathon to close out the five-game stand.
"Honestly I thought we swung the bat well during the second game," head coach Trisha Ford said. "We just hit the ball right at people. Something we have been working on and talking about is that progression and starting to see that grit and that fire. I thought Iowa played a heck of a game and that their pitcher threw well. I just think we did a good job of sticking to our plan and buying into the process. I am really proud of our team."
Game One: ASU 4, SC 3 (9 Inn)
The Sun Devils jumped out to an early lead in the second when senior shortstop Chelsea Gonzales roped her third homer of the season to left field with no outs in just the second inning against the Gamecoacks. The homerun was the 15th of the season for the Sun Devils who have given up just eight long balls to opponents this season.
Unfortunately, the Sun Devil lead would not last long, as a three-run bomb by South Carolina in the top of the third made it a 3-1 game, heading to the fourth.
ASU would answer in the home-half of the fourth, as senior catcher Sashel Palacios lifted a two-RBI double to left center that scored Fa Leilua and Margaret Stahm, tying the game at three-all.
With neither team able to muster the go-ahead run in regulation, the game went to extra innings, marking just the second time this season the Sun Devils have had to play more than the scheduled seven frames.
With the international tie-breaker in effect, the Sun Devils finally pushed through to bring in the game winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning as a leadoff single from Marisa Stankiewicz brought in Nichole Chilson who was placed at second to begin the inning.
In the winning effort, Macha tallied a season-high nine strikeouts, none bigger than the two she recorded with bases loaded, and no outs, in the sixth that kept the Gamecocks off the board and preserved the tie game heading into the seventh. The Mesa, Ariz., native collected her fifth win in the game, and improved her season ERA to a miniscule 1.51.
Game Two, ASU 5, Iowa 4 (10 Inn)
In the Sun Devil's second game, it was the Hawkeyes who jumped out to an early lead as the Big 10 foe was able to score the game's first run on a two-RBI triple in the top of the first inning, sending the Sun Devil's to the plate trailing 2-0.
Following a quiet four subsequent innings, the Hawkeys extended their lead to 3-0 in the top of the fifth with a sacrifice bunt that plated an Iowa runner from third on a called catcher's interference at the plate.
With the Sun Devils unable to bring a runner in in the bottom og the fifth of sixth inning, ASU came to the plate in the home-half of the seventh needing to find a spark. It was Palacios, again, who made it happen for the Sun Devils in crunch time, as the Chula Vista, Calif., native absolutely crushed a one-out homer to center field that cut the Hawkeye lead to 3-1 with one away in the inning.
Skylar McCarty kept the rally alive with a hard hit ground ball that was misplayed by an Iowa defender that scored two more runs, and evened the game at 3-all.
With ASU unable to close the door in regulation, the game was sent to extra innings, a situation the Sun Devils seemed to be incredibly comfortable in after the team's hard fought win in game one.
Again, with the international tiebreaker in effect, the two teams traded runs in the ninth, before junior pitcher Dale Ryndak delivered a shutdown inning in the tenth, sending the Sun Devils to the plate with an opprotunity to collect their second walk-off win of the day.
ASU would do just that, as leadoff hitter Taylor Becerra connected on her fourth hit of the day that brought in Melissa Eisen from second and sealed the Sun Devil's 15th win of the season.
The 20th- ranked Sun Devils will return home this Wednesday to host the first of four-straight home games, with a 6 p.m. tilt against Maine, before hosting Nebraska for a three-game series over the weekend. Wednesday's game will mark the second Social Media Night at Farrington Stadium this season, with fans able to take advantage of special ticket prices by using promo code, hashtag.
Fans can follow all of the action from the 2017 Sun Devil Softball season by following @ASUSoftball on Twitter.
"Honestly I thought we swung the bat well during the second game," head coach Trisha Ford said. "We just hit the ball right at people. Something we have been working on and talking about is that progression and starting to see that grit and that fire. I thought Iowa played a heck of a game and that their pitcher threw well. I just think we did a good job of sticking to our plan and buying into the process. I am really proud of our team."
Game One: ASU 4, SC 3 (9 Inn)
The Sun Devils jumped out to an early lead in the second when senior shortstop Chelsea Gonzales roped her third homer of the season to left field with no outs in just the second inning against the Gamecoacks. The homerun was the 15th of the season for the Sun Devils who have given up just eight long balls to opponents this season.
Unfortunately, the Sun Devil lead would not last long, as a three-run bomb by South Carolina in the top of the third made it a 3-1 game, heading to the fourth.
ASU would answer in the home-half of the fourth, as senior catcher Sashel Palacios lifted a two-RBI double to left center that scored Fa Leilua and Margaret Stahm, tying the game at three-all.
With neither team able to muster the go-ahead run in regulation, the game went to extra innings, marking just the second time this season the Sun Devils have had to play more than the scheduled seven frames.
With the international tie-breaker in effect, the Sun Devils finally pushed through to bring in the game winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning as a leadoff single from Marisa Stankiewicz brought in Nichole Chilson who was placed at second to begin the inning.
In the winning effort, Macha tallied a season-high nine strikeouts, none bigger than the two she recorded with bases loaded, and no outs, in the sixth that kept the Gamecocks off the board and preserved the tie game heading into the seventh. The Mesa, Ariz., native collected her fifth win in the game, and improved her season ERA to a miniscule 1.51.
Game Two, ASU 5, Iowa 4 (10 Inn)
In the Sun Devil's second game, it was the Hawkeyes who jumped out to an early lead as the Big 10 foe was able to score the game's first run on a two-RBI triple in the top of the first inning, sending the Sun Devil's to the plate trailing 2-0.
Following a quiet four subsequent innings, the Hawkeys extended their lead to 3-0 in the top of the fifth with a sacrifice bunt that plated an Iowa runner from third on a called catcher's interference at the plate.
With the Sun Devils unable to bring a runner in in the bottom og the fifth of sixth inning, ASU came to the plate in the home-half of the seventh needing to find a spark. It was Palacios, again, who made it happen for the Sun Devils in crunch time, as the Chula Vista, Calif., native absolutely crushed a one-out homer to center field that cut the Hawkeye lead to 3-1 with one away in the inning.
Skylar McCarty kept the rally alive with a hard hit ground ball that was misplayed by an Iowa defender that scored two more runs, and evened the game at 3-all.
With ASU unable to close the door in regulation, the game was sent to extra innings, a situation the Sun Devils seemed to be incredibly comfortable in after the team's hard fought win in game one.
Again, with the international tiebreaker in effect, the two teams traded runs in the ninth, before junior pitcher Dale Ryndak delivered a shutdown inning in the tenth, sending the Sun Devils to the plate with an opprotunity to collect their second walk-off win of the day.
ASU would do just that, as leadoff hitter Taylor Becerra connected on her fourth hit of the day that brought in Melissa Eisen from second and sealed the Sun Devil's 15th win of the season.
The 20th- ranked Sun Devils will return home this Wednesday to host the first of four-straight home games, with a 6 p.m. tilt against Maine, before hosting Nebraska for a three-game series over the weekend. Wednesday's game will mark the second Social Media Night at Farrington Stadium this season, with fans able to take advantage of special ticket prices by using promo code, hashtag.
Fans can follow all of the action from the 2017 Sun Devil Softball season by following @ASUSoftball on Twitter.