TEMPE, Ariz. --- The No. 15 Arizona State softball team (13-5) split their double header Friday in the first day of the Sun Devil Classic, topping Princeton 20-5, and then falling to No. 9 Texas 11-4.
GAME ONE: ASU 20, Princeton 5
After 15 years of not playing each other, the Sun Devils came back strong against Princeton with a win Friday afternoon. The Tigers struck first when starting pitcher Cielo Meza walked Mikayla Blaska with the bases loaded for a 1-0 lead.
Batting in the leadoff spot in the bottom of the first, junior outfielder Kindra Hackbarth got things started for the explosive ASU offense with an infield single. Skylar McCarty followed with an RBI-double to left center, plating K. Hackbarth and tying the game at one-all.
Sophomore DeNae Chatman tallied her first of two home runs of the day with a rocket to left center field. By the end of the third inning, every Sun Devil who came to the plate had at least one hit on the day.
In the fourth inning, junior Maddi Hackbarth launched her team-leading seventh home run of the year, pushing the Sun Devil lead to 13-5. Just a few batters later, Chatman connected on her second home run of the game, this time a grand slam to right field. The slam was her first in maroon and gold, and marks the fourth grand slam hit this season for the team. In the final two innings the offense came to life scoring 16 runs on 11 hits
"She has been wonderful, she is somebody that did big things in the box for us last year and is continuing to get better," said head coach Trisha Ford of Chatman. "She is fun to watch with all the power she has."
In the final inning, the Tigers attempted to strike back, but Mejia slammed the door, securing the first ASU win of the weekend, 20-5.
GAME TWO: ASU 4 , No. 9 Texas 11
ASU began the second game strong against Texas with freshman pitcher Abby Andersen making her second start against a top-10 team on the season. Andersen settled in quickly, retiring the Longhorns in order to start the game.
The offensive success looked to have carried over from the first game as K. Hackbarth and McCarty hit back-to-back singles off UT starter Miranda Elish. Despite earning a walk later in the inning to load the bases, the Sun Devils were unable to put any on the board.
Elish and the Longhorns silenced Arizona State in the second, but the Devils broke through in the third when senior outfielder Morgan Howe hit a two-run shot to left center to cut the Longhorns' lead to 6-2.
Unfortunately, those two runs were not enough as the Longhorns went on to score five- unanswered runs on seven hits in the upcoming frames.
ASU made a late push in the seventh inning when Bella Loomis hit a double to left bringing home freshman Yannira Acuña making the score 11-3. McCarty would follow with a sacrifice-fly that brought in Loomis, but the would-be comeback was stifled with a strikeout that sealed the win for ninth-ranked Texas.
The Sun Devils will be back at Farrington Saturday afternoon for another double header beginning with Princeton at 3:00 p.m. and Wisconsin at 5:30 p.m. Both games can be watched on ASU Live Stream.
Tickets are still available for the second day of the Sun Devil Classic and can be purchased here. Fans can also keep up to date with all of the action from the 2019 season by following @ASUSoftball on Twitter.
GAME ONE: ASU 20, Princeton 5
After 15 years of not playing each other, the Sun Devils came back strong against Princeton with a win Friday afternoon. The Tigers struck first when starting pitcher Cielo Meza walked Mikayla Blaska with the bases loaded for a 1-0 lead.
Batting in the leadoff spot in the bottom of the first, junior outfielder Kindra Hackbarth got things started for the explosive ASU offense with an infield single. Skylar McCarty followed with an RBI-double to left center, plating K. Hackbarth and tying the game at one-all.
Sophomore DeNae Chatman tallied her first of two home runs of the day with a rocket to left center field. By the end of the third inning, every Sun Devil who came to the plate had at least one hit on the day.
In the fourth inning, junior Maddi Hackbarth launched her team-leading seventh home run of the year, pushing the Sun Devil lead to 13-5. Just a few batters later, Chatman connected on her second home run of the game, this time a grand slam to right field. The slam was her first in maroon and gold, and marks the fourth grand slam hit this season for the team. In the final two innings the offense came to life scoring 16 runs on 11 hits
"She has been wonderful, she is somebody that did big things in the box for us last year and is continuing to get better," said head coach Trisha Ford of Chatman. "She is fun to watch with all the power she has."
In the final inning, the Tigers attempted to strike back, but Mejia slammed the door, securing the first ASU win of the weekend, 20-5.
GAME TWO: ASU 4 , No. 9 Texas 11
ASU began the second game strong against Texas with freshman pitcher Abby Andersen making her second start against a top-10 team on the season. Andersen settled in quickly, retiring the Longhorns in order to start the game.
The offensive success looked to have carried over from the first game as K. Hackbarth and McCarty hit back-to-back singles off UT starter Miranda Elish. Despite earning a walk later in the inning to load the bases, the Sun Devils were unable to put any on the board.
Elish and the Longhorns silenced Arizona State in the second, but the Devils broke through in the third when senior outfielder Morgan Howe hit a two-run shot to left center to cut the Longhorns' lead to 6-2.
Unfortunately, those two runs were not enough as the Longhorns went on to score five- unanswered runs on seven hits in the upcoming frames.
ASU made a late push in the seventh inning when Bella Loomis hit a double to left bringing home freshman Yannira Acuña making the score 11-3. McCarty would follow with a sacrifice-fly that brought in Loomis, but the would-be comeback was stifled with a strikeout that sealed the win for ninth-ranked Texas.
The Sun Devils will be back at Farrington Saturday afternoon for another double header beginning with Princeton at 3:00 p.m. and Wisconsin at 5:30 p.m. Both games can be watched on ASU Live Stream.
Tickets are still available for the second day of the Sun Devil Classic and can be purchased here. Fans can also keep up to date with all of the action from the 2019 season by following @ASUSoftball on Twitter.