TEMPE, Ariz.-- Junior outfielder Kindra Hackbarth hit for the cycle as the 16th-ranked Arizona State softball team picked up a 17-1 run-rule victory over the New Mexico State Aggies on day two of the ASU Invitational at the Farrington Stadium.
"Kindra (Hackbarth) is special," head coach Trisha Ford said of Hackbarth's day at the plate. "She is a complete player. There are different types of players and she is one that just loves to learn the game. Sometimes that is her biggest hindrance, but she is one who is always looking for more, looking for ways to get better. When you look for difference makers in our game, she is one of those difference makers."
Pitcher Abby Andersen turned in another gem in the circle for the Sun Devils. The freshman held NMSU to just one-run on five-hits in her fifth win of the season.
It did not take long for the Sun Devils offense to make its mark against the Aggies. After allowing a run in the first inning, Kindra Hackbarth stepped to the plate and launched her sixth home run of the season, sending a no-doubter over the wall in left-center to even the score.
"One of the team goals in every game is to punch back," Ford said of the team's response to giving up an early run. "We think of that as one of our core goals in order to be successful. Hitting in this game is all about momentum. Just when they start to feel like momentum is on their side, we come back and put up four runs. It really set the tone that we came here to play. I think we did a good job of pushing in every inning and putting the game away."
Just two batters later, Jade Gortarez connected on her first homerun of the season, blasting a three-run shot to left-field that pushed ASU's lead to 4-1.
"The first home run is the hardest, I guess," Gortarez said with a smile. "Maddi (Hackbarth) had a very tough at-bat against her right before me. She took it to a 3-2 count with two outs and I just came up and wanted to keep it simple."
Looking to stay aggressive after the big first inning, the Sun Devils broke the game open in the second. Sophomore infielder Kiara Kennedy worked her way on base, before K. Hackbarth continued her momentum from the first inning with a double. With a pair of runners on base, Morgan Howe crushed a three-run home run to push ASU's lead to 7-1.
After a quick top of the third, the Sun Devil offense got back to work in the home-half of the frame, plating six runs on five hits, including a K. Hackbarth three-RBI triple, that extended the Sun Devil lead to 10-1. A little later in the inning Maddi Hackbarth laced a two-run single up the middle to push the score to 13-1.
The offensive barrage did not stop in the fourth, as Bella Loomis crushed a two-run shot over the wall in right to make it a 15-1 Sun Devil lead.
On the very next at-bat, K. Hackbarth would complete the cycle with a single down the first-base line. An already impressive feat was made that much more special as the junior would take advantage of two Aggie errors on the play, and come around to score a run, and increase ASU's lead to 16-1.
"I am so proud of her," Gortarez said of her teammate's accomplishment. "She works so hard day-in and day-out. Kindra is a future all-american. Tonight was something special to see and you just have to be proud of her. It was awesome."
ASU would tack on one more run later in the inning as M. Hackbarth reached on a fielder's choice, scoring McCarty, and pushing the score to the 17-1 final.
The Sun Devils will be back in action tomorrow evening hosting Leigh in a 7:00 p.m. at Farrington Stadium. Fans can follow all of the action from Saturday's game, as well as the rest of the 2019 ASU softball season by following @ASUSoftball on Twitter.
"Kindra (Hackbarth) is special," head coach Trisha Ford said of Hackbarth's day at the plate. "She is a complete player. There are different types of players and she is one that just loves to learn the game. Sometimes that is her biggest hindrance, but she is one who is always looking for more, looking for ways to get better. When you look for difference makers in our game, she is one of those difference makers."
Pitcher Abby Andersen turned in another gem in the circle for the Sun Devils. The freshman held NMSU to just one-run on five-hits in her fifth win of the season.
It did not take long for the Sun Devils offense to make its mark against the Aggies. After allowing a run in the first inning, Kindra Hackbarth stepped to the plate and launched her sixth home run of the season, sending a no-doubter over the wall in left-center to even the score.
"One of the team goals in every game is to punch back," Ford said of the team's response to giving up an early run. "We think of that as one of our core goals in order to be successful. Hitting in this game is all about momentum. Just when they start to feel like momentum is on their side, we come back and put up four runs. It really set the tone that we came here to play. I think we did a good job of pushing in every inning and putting the game away."
Just two batters later, Jade Gortarez connected on her first homerun of the season, blasting a three-run shot to left-field that pushed ASU's lead to 4-1.
"The first home run is the hardest, I guess," Gortarez said with a smile. "Maddi (Hackbarth) had a very tough at-bat against her right before me. She took it to a 3-2 count with two outs and I just came up and wanted to keep it simple."
Looking to stay aggressive after the big first inning, the Sun Devils broke the game open in the second. Sophomore infielder Kiara Kennedy worked her way on base, before K. Hackbarth continued her momentum from the first inning with a double. With a pair of runners on base, Morgan Howe crushed a three-run home run to push ASU's lead to 7-1.
After a quick top of the third, the Sun Devil offense got back to work in the home-half of the frame, plating six runs on five hits, including a K. Hackbarth three-RBI triple, that extended the Sun Devil lead to 10-1. A little later in the inning Maddi Hackbarth laced a two-run single up the middle to push the score to 13-1.
The offensive barrage did not stop in the fourth, as Bella Loomis crushed a two-run shot over the wall in right to make it a 15-1 Sun Devil lead.
On the very next at-bat, K. Hackbarth would complete the cycle with a single down the first-base line. An already impressive feat was made that much more special as the junior would take advantage of two Aggie errors on the play, and come around to score a run, and increase ASU's lead to 16-1.
"I am so proud of her," Gortarez said of her teammate's accomplishment. "She works so hard day-in and day-out. Kindra is a future all-american. Tonight was something special to see and you just have to be proud of her. It was awesome."
ASU would tack on one more run later in the inning as M. Hackbarth reached on a fielder's choice, scoring McCarty, and pushing the score to the 17-1 final.
The Sun Devils will be back in action tomorrow evening hosting Leigh in a 7:00 p.m. at Farrington Stadium. Fans can follow all of the action from Saturday's game, as well as the rest of the 2019 ASU softball season by following @ASUSoftball on Twitter.