Eugene, Ore. – The Arizona State softball team (33-18, 13-11) closed out the 2019 regular season with a 12-4 run-rule victory over the Oregon Ducks Saturday afternoon.
Following a quiet first inning for the Sun Devils, the Ducks came to the plate looking to get their offense going. With back-to-back doubles, the Ducks found themselves with their first lead of the series.
The Sun Devils answered back in the top of the second when Jade Gortarez, who had enjoyed an incredible weekend defensively leading into Saturday's game, drove a ball deep over the fence in left to make it a 1-1 game.
Unfortunately for the Sun Devils, the Ducks would come right back with a sac fly in the bottom of the frame to jump back out to a 2-1 lead.
The ASU offense would settle in to start the third, roaring back with a five-hit, six-run, frame. Kiara Kennedy got things started with a towering solo-shot to lead off the inning. She would be backed up by a single from Bella Loomis, who swiped second just one batter later.
Skylar McCarty kept the Sun Devils rolling with a double that scored Loomis with one away, before being brought in herself by a two-run blast off the bat of Kindra Hackbarth, making it a 5-2 ASU lead.
Two batters later, Gortarez would reach safely for the second time in the game, and would be brought home by a Maddi Hackbarth blast to left that pushed the score to 7-2. With her homer in today's game, M. Hackbarth moved into a tie for third all-time in ASU history for home runs in a single season. She matches the home run output of two Sun Devil greats, Katelyn Boyd (2012) and Annie Lockwood (2012) with 19 on the year.
Oregon did not shy away from the challenge of being down by a handful early, battling back to score two runs in the bottom of the third to make it a 7-4 game heading to the fourth.
After Kennedy and Loomis reached safely with back-to-back singles, senior Morgan Howe connected on her fourth triple of the season, clearing the bases and pushing ASU out to a 10-4 lead.
After holding the Ducks at bay again in the fourth and fifth, The Sun Devils would add two more in the top of the sixth when McCarty and DeNae Chatman came through with RBI to put ASU on track for their first run-rule victory of the series.
Samantha Mejia came through clutch in the final half inning of the game, holding the Ducks to just one hit, and closing the door in the final game of the 2019 regular season.
The Sun Devils will learn their postseason fate tomorrow at 6:00 p.m. PT during the NCAA Softball Selection Show, set to be televised on ESPN2. Fans can follow all of the action from the 2019 NCAA Tournament by following @ASUSoftball on Twitter.
Following a quiet first inning for the Sun Devils, the Ducks came to the plate looking to get their offense going. With back-to-back doubles, the Ducks found themselves with their first lead of the series.
The Sun Devils answered back in the top of the second when Jade Gortarez, who had enjoyed an incredible weekend defensively leading into Saturday's game, drove a ball deep over the fence in left to make it a 1-1 game.
Unfortunately for the Sun Devils, the Ducks would come right back with a sac fly in the bottom of the frame to jump back out to a 2-1 lead.
The ASU offense would settle in to start the third, roaring back with a five-hit, six-run, frame. Kiara Kennedy got things started with a towering solo-shot to lead off the inning. She would be backed up by a single from Bella Loomis, who swiped second just one batter later.
Skylar McCarty kept the Sun Devils rolling with a double that scored Loomis with one away, before being brought in herself by a two-run blast off the bat of Kindra Hackbarth, making it a 5-2 ASU lead.
Two batters later, Gortarez would reach safely for the second time in the game, and would be brought home by a Maddi Hackbarth blast to left that pushed the score to 7-2. With her homer in today's game, M. Hackbarth moved into a tie for third all-time in ASU history for home runs in a single season. She matches the home run output of two Sun Devil greats, Katelyn Boyd (2012) and Annie Lockwood (2012) with 19 on the year.
Oregon did not shy away from the challenge of being down by a handful early, battling back to score two runs in the bottom of the third to make it a 7-4 game heading to the fourth.
After Kennedy and Loomis reached safely with back-to-back singles, senior Morgan Howe connected on her fourth triple of the season, clearing the bases and pushing ASU out to a 10-4 lead.
After holding the Ducks at bay again in the fourth and fifth, The Sun Devils would add two more in the top of the sixth when McCarty and DeNae Chatman came through with RBI to put ASU on track for their first run-rule victory of the series.
Samantha Mejia came through clutch in the final half inning of the game, holding the Ducks to just one hit, and closing the door in the final game of the 2019 regular season.
The Sun Devils will learn their postseason fate tomorrow at 6:00 p.m. PT during the NCAA Softball Selection Show, set to be televised on ESPN2. Fans can follow all of the action from the 2019 NCAA Tournament by following @ASUSoftball on Twitter.