TEMPE, ARIZ.-- Welcome to the 300 Club! Arizona State softball head coach Trisha Ford picked up her 300th career win in game two of a series sweep against Cal State Fullerton on Tuesday afternoon at Alberta B. Farrington Softball Stadium.
ASU's (6-0) high-scoring offense came to play against CSUF (2-4), complete with a grand slam and three home runs to defeat the Titans, 8-0 and 5-2.
Coach Ford spoke true to her coaching philosophy, for her, today was about the team's two wins to remain undefeated on the season.
"The two wins were great. I mean that was the most important thing. I didn't know about the (career) milestone," Ford said. "It's not really about me, it's always been about the coaches and the program and our players. I always go back to the fact that I don't play the game, I prepare them (the players), and mentor them and make sure that they're ready."
Freshman Allison Royalty, got the start in game one against Cal State Fullerton after an impressive 3-0 start to the season. Royalty held CSUF to just two hits and no runs while recording nine strikeouts. Coach Ford gave the start for game two to Lindsay Lopez who had appeared in three games for ASU.
Fifth year Kindra Hackbarth went yard twice on Tuesday, one in each consecutive game. Senior Denae Chatman put on a clinic in big bats, hitting a grand slam as part of ASU's shutout win to open the doubleheader. Sophomore Jazmine Hill collected a two RBI dinger to close out Tuesday's long ball log.
UP NEXT: The Sun Devils remain at home as the co-host of a tournament with GCU Purple Classic from Feb 26-28. New Mexico, Oklahoma, Iowa State, and Portland State are expected to participate in the non-conference play. No fans are permitted per Pac-12 Conference guidelines but can watch on the ASU Live Stream.
Game One, ASU 8, CSUF 0:
HOW IT HAPPENED:
As for a slow start, Coach Ford noted, "I thought today we did a good job of battling. I think Sophie did a tremendous job and kept us off balance for a few innings, and then we finally broke through and I was just really proud."
Game Two, ASU 5, CSUF 2:
HOW IT HAPPENED:
FACTS TO KNOW:
QUOTES WITH COACH FORD:
On Allison Royalty's growth thus far:
" I think she's doing a really good job of hitting her spots, I think when she was kinda throwing against us in scrimmages or live ya know against our hitters, she just wasn't hitting her spots as crisp as she is doing right now so I think when she pitched against Seattle, I told her I said I felt like as the game when on she got better. "
On Kindra being a well rounded player:
"Kindra is just special, I mean I think we talked about this at the end of the weekend ya know I just I enjoy watching her play. You'll notice after her at bat she kinda comes and she puts her bat down and I'm always picking her brain, what do you see? What's going on? Her and I have a lot of communication in the dugout and ya know from me she wasn't feeling as great this past weekend and she came in and did some work, did some extra work and she coils start to feel herself coming back and she's just a tremendous athlete, she can bunt on you. She can hit base hits, she can hit the ball to the wall, she's stealing bases I mean she'ss pretty dynamic. There's a reason why she's an All American.
ASU's (6-0) high-scoring offense came to play against CSUF (2-4), complete with a grand slam and three home runs to defeat the Titans, 8-0 and 5-2.
Coach Ford spoke true to her coaching philosophy, for her, today was about the team's two wins to remain undefeated on the season.
"The two wins were great. I mean that was the most important thing. I didn't know about the (career) milestone," Ford said. "It's not really about me, it's always been about the coaches and the program and our players. I always go back to the fact that I don't play the game, I prepare them (the players), and mentor them and make sure that they're ready."
Freshman Allison Royalty, got the start in game one against Cal State Fullerton after an impressive 3-0 start to the season. Royalty held CSUF to just two hits and no runs while recording nine strikeouts. Coach Ford gave the start for game two to Lindsay Lopez who had appeared in three games for ASU.
Royalty goes 1-2-3!??
— Sun Devil Softball (@ASUSoftball) February 16, 2021
Sun Devils are back at the plate?? pic.twitter.com/CV5uiaR5EN
Fifth year Kindra Hackbarth went yard twice on Tuesday, one in each consecutive game. Senior Denae Chatman put on a clinic in big bats, hitting a grand slam as part of ASU's shutout win to open the doubleheader. Sophomore Jazmine Hill collected a two RBI dinger to close out Tuesday's long ball log.
UP NEXT: The Sun Devils remain at home as the co-host of a tournament with GCU Purple Classic from Feb 26-28. New Mexico, Oklahoma, Iowa State, and Portland State are expected to participate in the non-conference play. No fans are permitted per Pac-12 Conference guidelines but can watch on the ASU Live Stream.
Game One, ASU 8, CSUF 0:
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- Royalty opened the game with two strikeouts leaving a runner stranded at first and turned it over to ASU to bat in the bottom of the first. ASU stranded a leadoff walk to end their half of the first.
- Royalty kept CSUF off the board in the second and added two more strikeouts on the day. Makenna Harper brought in Alli Tatnall, who drew a leadoff walk, for the first run of the game off of a fielder's choice.
- Royal went one-two-three to keep CSUF scoreless through three and forced three pop ups to end the fourth.
- The Sun Devils had the bases loaded after picking up their first hits of the game, but two straight strikeouts ended the inning, and left all three runners stranded.
- Kindra Hackbarth opened the Sun Devils half of the fifth inning with a solo shot to right and extended the ASU lead to 2-0. A HBP and two straight walks load the bases with two outs and Denae Chapman hit a grand slam to center to put the Sun Devils up six runs.
- The Sun Devil defense led by Royalty who recorded nine strikeouts through six innings. Halle Harper and K. Hackbarth had back-to-back singles to open the bottom of the sixth, and M. Hackbarth doubled to right center field to put ASU up eight, and end the game with a run-rule victory.
As for a slow start, Coach Ford noted, "I thought today we did a good job of battling. I think Sophie did a tremendous job and kept us off balance for a few innings, and then we finally broke through and I was just really proud."
Game Two, ASU 5, CSUF 2:
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- CSUF got on the board early after a fielder's choice and a great defensive play from Alynah Torres ends the inning
- K. Hackbarth tied the game for ASU after singling and reaching third off an an error and scoring on a ball in the dirt
- Chatman singled in Loomis to give the Sun Devils the 2-0 lead
- CSUF once again tied the game, but Lopez was able to end the inning stranding three Titans on base.
- Sophomore catcher Macy Simmons stepped up to the plate for the first time this season and recorded her first hit of the year with a single to left field.
- ASU stranded two walks and the game remained tied headed into the third inning.
- K. Hackbarth had her second home run on the day and Hill sent one over the right field wall to bring in Loomis, putting the Sun Devils up five in the bottom of the fourth
- ASU threatened again in the bottom of the fifth inning, but left two runners on base and headed into the sixth inning with a 5-2 lead.
- Fifth year Cielo Meza came in relief as for Lopez, who ended the day after five innings pitched. Lopez gave up two runs off of eight hits and recorded three strikeouts. Meza forced a 1-2-3 inning for the Titans to end the game and keep the Sun Devil undefeated on the season.
FACTS TO KNOW:
- The Hackbarth sisters have each homered in back-to-back games. Maddi homered against Seattle and Utah, and Kindra homered in both games of the CSUF doubleheader.
- Kindra spoke on her two home run day, "it felt good. I feel like it was a slow start at first, but now it's coming along. It was a huge relief going back to being comfortable and back to my old swing. It just felt good."
- Chatman's grand slam was the first for ASU since 2020 when Makenna Harper's on 3/5/2020, and the tenth since 2012.
QUOTES WITH COACH FORD:
On Allison Royalty's growth thus far:
" I think she's doing a really good job of hitting her spots, I think when she was kinda throwing against us in scrimmages or live ya know against our hitters, she just wasn't hitting her spots as crisp as she is doing right now so I think when she pitched against Seattle, I told her I said I felt like as the game when on she got better. "
On Kindra being a well rounded player:
"Kindra is just special, I mean I think we talked about this at the end of the weekend ya know I just I enjoy watching her play. You'll notice after her at bat she kinda comes and she puts her bat down and I'm always picking her brain, what do you see? What's going on? Her and I have a lot of communication in the dugout and ya know from me she wasn't feeling as great this past weekend and she came in and did some work, did some extra work and she coils start to feel herself coming back and she's just a tremendous athlete, she can bunt on you. She can hit base hits, she can hit the ball to the wall, she's stealing bases I mean she'ss pretty dynamic. There's a reason why she's an All American.