Palo Alto, Calif. -- Senior outfielder Morgan Howe went two-for-three at the plate with five RBI as Arizona State completed the series sweep of the Stanford Cardinal with a 10-5 victory at Smith Family Stadium Sunday afternoon.
Following a very quiet first two innings, the Sun Devils got the offense started in the top of the third. Freshman Yannira Acuña led off the inning with a hard-hit single through the right side, before Kiara Kennedy reached base on a hit-by-pitch. Following a strikeout, Kindra Hackbarth loaded the bases with a single to left, bringing Skylar McCarty to the plate with just one out. The senior outfielder kept things moving with a bloop-single that allowed Acuña to cross the plate for the game's first run.
Just one batter later, Morgan Howe launched a ball to straight-away center for her sixth-hit of the series, and second home run of the weekend. The grand-slam also marked ASU's eighth grand slam of the season, and stood as Howe's second this year. She joins Maddi Hackbarth and Bella Loomis as the third player on the roster this season with multiple grand slams in 2019.
The Cardinal would respond in the home half of the frame, plating three-runs on four-hits to make it a 5-3 game heading to the fourth. After quieting the ASU bats in the top of the fourth, the Cardinal got things working again in the home half, bringing in two runs to tie the game at 5-5.
With neither team able to bring in a run in the fifth, it was the Sun Devils who would break the game open in the sixth. Jade Gortarez and Acuña earned back-to-back walks to get things started in the Sun Devil sixth. Gortarez would be brought in by an RBI-double off the bat of Kiara Kennedy, and Acuña crossed the plate thanks to a sacrifice-fly from Bella Loomis.
Just one batter later, Kindra Hackbarth go ahold of her 14th- home run of the season, launching a towering shot over the wall in straightaway center to push the ASU lead to 9-5. Howe would later add on to the lead with an RBI single through the right side to make it a 10-5 game.
From there ASU pitcher Samantha Mejia and the Sun Devil defense would shut down the Stanford offense to close out the game, and the second Pac-12 series sweep of the season. With the win, ASU improved to 62-25 all-time against Stanford, including a 9-0 mark against the Cardinal in the Trisha Ford era.
The Sun Devils will be back in action next weekend against Cal for their final home weekend of the 2019 season. Action in the three-game series against the Golden Bears will begin with a 5:00 p.m. first pitch Friday evening. The series will continue with a 1:00 p.m. contest Saturday, before closing out the home-slate with a noon first pitch Sunday. Fans can follow all of the action from the final six games of the 2019 regular season by following @ASUSoftball on Twitter.
Following a very quiet first two innings, the Sun Devils got the offense started in the top of the third. Freshman Yannira Acuña led off the inning with a hard-hit single through the right side, before Kiara Kennedy reached base on a hit-by-pitch. Following a strikeout, Kindra Hackbarth loaded the bases with a single to left, bringing Skylar McCarty to the plate with just one out. The senior outfielder kept things moving with a bloop-single that allowed Acuña to cross the plate for the game's first run.
Just one batter later, Morgan Howe launched a ball to straight-away center for her sixth-hit of the series, and second home run of the weekend. The grand-slam also marked ASU's eighth grand slam of the season, and stood as Howe's second this year. She joins Maddi Hackbarth and Bella Loomis as the third player on the roster this season with multiple grand slams in 2019.
The Cardinal would respond in the home half of the frame, plating three-runs on four-hits to make it a 5-3 game heading to the fourth. After quieting the ASU bats in the top of the fourth, the Cardinal got things working again in the home half, bringing in two runs to tie the game at 5-5.
With neither team able to bring in a run in the fifth, it was the Sun Devils who would break the game open in the sixth. Jade Gortarez and Acuña earned back-to-back walks to get things started in the Sun Devil sixth. Gortarez would be brought in by an RBI-double off the bat of Kiara Kennedy, and Acuña crossed the plate thanks to a sacrifice-fly from Bella Loomis.
Just one batter later, Kindra Hackbarth go ahold of her 14th- home run of the season, launching a towering shot over the wall in straightaway center to push the ASU lead to 9-5. Howe would later add on to the lead with an RBI single through the right side to make it a 10-5 game.
From there ASU pitcher Samantha Mejia and the Sun Devil defense would shut down the Stanford offense to close out the game, and the second Pac-12 series sweep of the season. With the win, ASU improved to 62-25 all-time against Stanford, including a 9-0 mark against the Cardinal in the Trisha Ford era.
The Sun Devils will be back in action next weekend against Cal for their final home weekend of the 2019 season. Action in the three-game series against the Golden Bears will begin with a 5:00 p.m. first pitch Friday evening. The series will continue with a 1:00 p.m. contest Saturday, before closing out the home-slate with a noon first pitch Sunday. Fans can follow all of the action from the final six games of the 2019 regular season by following @ASUSoftball on Twitter.