TEMPE, Ariz. – The No. 14 Arizona State softball team (21-2) wrapped up their three-game series against Minnesota on Sunday at Farrington Stadium, winning both games and sweeping the series against the visiting Golden Gophers.
With the pair of wins Sunday, the Sun Devils closed out a phenomenal week of Softball at Farrington Stadium. Including the two midweek games this week, ASU outhit their opponents 44-12, including a 12-0 advantage in home runs. Pitcher, G Juarez led the Sun Devils in the circle, throwing 18 shutout innings, allowing just six hits and two walks.
At the plate, the Sun Devils were almost unstoppable, with four players hitting above .500 through the five games played. Sophomore Kindra Hackbarth led the way for ASU, going 8-for-14 including a pair of triples en route to a .571 batting average on the week. Gibson, the first-year first baseman, launched five home runs, resulting in a team-leading 1.909 slugging percentage in her four games played. As a team, ASU hit at a .367 clip, and outscored their opponents, 40-1.
GAME 1: No. 14 Arizona State 9, Minnesota 1
In the first part of the doubleheader, senior pitcher Breanna Macha picked up her eighth win of the season shutting down the Gopher offense in five innings. Macha struck out four batters and gave up zero walks, the fifth time this season the Sun Devil pitching staff has not given up a walk.
The duo of Kindra Hackarth and Nichole Chilson put the Sun Devils on the board first as Chilson blasted a homerun to left field in the bottom of the first for a 2-0 Arizona State lead.
The Gophers went three up, three out in the top of the second and the Sun Devils left two on base in the bottom of the inning to keep a two run lead. Minnesota scored their one run of the game in the top of the third to bring ASU's lead within one.
The bats got going in the final two innings for the Sun Devils as they posted seven runs. Freshman Danielle Gibson singled in the top of the fourth before Maddi Hackbarth brought them both home with her two-run homerun. The very next at-bat featured a solo homerun for junior Skylar McCarty, her first of the season. A couple walks by the Gopher pitching staff and singles by Taylor Becerra, Marisa Stankiewicz and Bella Loomis in the bottom of the fifth brought in four total runs for the Sun Devils to close the game in a 9-1 run-rule victory.
GAME 2: No. 14 Arizona State 4, Minnesota 0
In Sunday's second game, lefty G Juarez was lights out in the circle, shutting out the Gopher offense. The sophomore struck out five and only allowed one hit for her eighth win of the season.
Through the first three and a half innings the game remained scoreless before Morgan Howe scored for the Sun Devils in the bottom of the fourth off a wild pitch and a single from Chilson.
The Devils put up two more runs in the bottom of the fifth courtesy of two Gopher errors and a single from Jade Gortarez and a double by Howe. Gibson homered to left field in the bottom of the sixth to build a 4-0 Arizona State lead before the Sun Devil defense took care of business in the top of the seventh to solidify the series sweep.
Up next the Sun Devils continue their home stand with a weekday doubleheader against Iowa on Wednesday before starting conference play against No. 1 Washington on Saturday. Wednesday's first pitch is set for 4 p.m. local time with the second game set to start at 6 p.m.
The conference three-game series starts Saturday at 5 p.m. Sunday and Monday both have first pitches slated for 2 p.m.
Wednesday's games will be livestreamed via pac-12.com/live while all three Washington matches will be broadcasted live on the Pac-12 Network. Follow all of the action from the 2018 season by following @ASUSoftball on Twitter.
With the pair of wins Sunday, the Sun Devils closed out a phenomenal week of Softball at Farrington Stadium. Including the two midweek games this week, ASU outhit their opponents 44-12, including a 12-0 advantage in home runs. Pitcher, G Juarez led the Sun Devils in the circle, throwing 18 shutout innings, allowing just six hits and two walks.
At the plate, the Sun Devils were almost unstoppable, with four players hitting above .500 through the five games played. Sophomore Kindra Hackbarth led the way for ASU, going 8-for-14 including a pair of triples en route to a .571 batting average on the week. Gibson, the first-year first baseman, launched five home runs, resulting in a team-leading 1.909 slugging percentage in her four games played. As a team, ASU hit at a .367 clip, and outscored their opponents, 40-1.
GAME 1: No. 14 Arizona State 9, Minnesota 1
In the first part of the doubleheader, senior pitcher Breanna Macha picked up her eighth win of the season shutting down the Gopher offense in five innings. Macha struck out four batters and gave up zero walks, the fifth time this season the Sun Devil pitching staff has not given up a walk.
The duo of Kindra Hackarth and Nichole Chilson put the Sun Devils on the board first as Chilson blasted a homerun to left field in the bottom of the first for a 2-0 Arizona State lead.
The Gophers went three up, three out in the top of the second and the Sun Devils left two on base in the bottom of the inning to keep a two run lead. Minnesota scored their one run of the game in the top of the third to bring ASU's lead within one.
The bats got going in the final two innings for the Sun Devils as they posted seven runs. Freshman Danielle Gibson singled in the top of the fourth before Maddi Hackbarth brought them both home with her two-run homerun. The very next at-bat featured a solo homerun for junior Skylar McCarty, her first of the season. A couple walks by the Gopher pitching staff and singles by Taylor Becerra, Marisa Stankiewicz and Bella Loomis in the bottom of the fifth brought in four total runs for the Sun Devils to close the game in a 9-1 run-rule victory.
GAME 2: No. 14 Arizona State 4, Minnesota 0
In Sunday's second game, lefty G Juarez was lights out in the circle, shutting out the Gopher offense. The sophomore struck out five and only allowed one hit for her eighth win of the season.
Through the first three and a half innings the game remained scoreless before Morgan Howe scored for the Sun Devils in the bottom of the fourth off a wild pitch and a single from Chilson.
The Devils put up two more runs in the bottom of the fifth courtesy of two Gopher errors and a single from Jade Gortarez and a double by Howe. Gibson homered to left field in the bottom of the sixth to build a 4-0 Arizona State lead before the Sun Devil defense took care of business in the top of the seventh to solidify the series sweep.
Up next the Sun Devils continue their home stand with a weekday doubleheader against Iowa on Wednesday before starting conference play against No. 1 Washington on Saturday. Wednesday's first pitch is set for 4 p.m. local time with the second game set to start at 6 p.m.
The conference three-game series starts Saturday at 5 p.m. Sunday and Monday both have first pitches slated for 2 p.m.
Wednesday's games will be livestreamed via pac-12.com/live while all three Washington matches will be broadcasted live on the Pac-12 Network. Follow all of the action from the 2018 season by following @ASUSoftball on Twitter.