Softball Sweeps Doubleheader in Sun Devil Classic

Tempe, Ariz.– On the third day of the Sun Devil Classic, Arizona State (17-5) won its doubleheader games on Saturday at Farrington Stadium which included a combined 18 runs, 16 hits and six home runs. The Sun Devils started off the day with a 5-1 win against Rutgers (15-9) followed by a 8-0 run-rule shutout win against the New Mexico State Aggies (5-14) in six innings.
 
Junior Lindsay Lopez pitched the entire first game for the Sun Devils. She struck out seven batters while allowing just one run and no walks. ASU had four home runs in the first game as sophomore Savannah Price had her first home run of the season while freshman Cydney Sanders hit her sixth of the season, including senior Yannira Acuña hitting her fourth home run of the weekend. Junior Jazmine Hill led the team in RBI's with two and hit a solo home run to extend the Sun Devils lead.

 

Price cashes in one more run for us! ????

T5: ASU 4?? – Rutgers 1??#ForksUp /// #O2V pic.twitter.com/9hlHocia6c

— Sun Devil Softball (@ASUSoftball) March 12, 2022

The bats were hot for the Sun Devils to end Saturday's doubleheader with Sanders hitting her second home run of the day tallying her seventh in 2022 and earned two RBIs.  Graduate Jessica Puk hit a perfect 2-for-2 with an RBI, while junior Alynah Torres had two hits and an RBI with Savannah Price with a double and an RBI. Jazmine Hill sent everyone home early with another walk-off home run in the sixth inning.

 

.@Jazmine_h77 gave this ball a ride into the night sky to send everyone home!! ??#ForksUp /// #O2V ?? pic.twitter.com/nOhzhiNo43

— Sun Devil Softball (@ASUSoftball) March 13, 2022

Mac Morgan got the start in the circle for the second game as ASU faced New Mexico State for the second time during the Sun Devil Classic. Morgan earned her ninth win of the season while allowing one walk and having three strikeouts as she pitched a complete game. 

 
How It Happened:
Game 1: ASU 5, Rutgers 1

• The bottom of the first started with Alynah Torres being hit by a pitch and Yannira Acuña drawing a walk. This put two runners on base with no outs for the Sun Devils. Torres and Acuña were stranded on base to end the inning.
• It was a tied ball game in the bottom of the third after Acuña homered into left-center, the score 1-1. Freshman Cydney Sanders drew a walk to put one on base with Jazmine Hill up to bat next. Hill hit a home run into left field to score two and give the Sun Devils their first lead of the ball game, the score was 3-1 heading into the fourth.
• With two out in the bottom of the fourth inning sophomore Savannah Price hit a solo home run into center field bringing the ASU lead to 4-1 after five inning.
• Sanders led off the fifth with a solo homer into left field extending the Sun Devil lead to 5-1 which is how the inning ended.
• Lindsay Lopez pitched a complete game, giving her three wins on the season.

 
Game 2: ASU 8, NM State 0

• Alynah Torres started the game for the Sun Devils with a single. Back-to-back walks drawn by Acuña and Sanders loaded the bases with no outs. Jaz Hill hit a sac fly into center to score Torres and break the score giving ASU the 1-0 lead. Sophomore Emily Cazares then hit an infield single to get on base. Cazares advanced to second base on a passed ball which scored Sanders from third base giving the Sun Devils the 2-0 lead.
• Catcher Jessica Puk led off our half of the second inning with single into left field. Up next to bat Savannah Price hit a double into center field to score Puk from first base, growing the ASU lead to 3-0. A two-run home run to left field by Sanders made it 5-0, bringing in Price. The hot bats continued when Jazmine Hill singled into left field with two outs in the inning. ASU took the 5-0 lead into the third inning.
• The third and fourth innings remained scoreless for both teams, the Sun Devils took the 5-0 lead into the fifth.
• Sophomore Emily Cazares reached second base on an error in left field to start the fifth. Halle Harger reached first after being hit by a pitch, putting two on base for ASU. Both runners took an extra base thanks to a wild pitch putting Cazares and Bella Loomis, who pinch ran for Harger, in scoring position. Puk, on a sacrifice fly, brought in Cazares followed by a single to shortstop from Torres bringing in Loomis which made the score 7-0.
• A double play from shortstop to first base kept ASU ahead 7-0 over the Aggies going into the bottom of the sixth.
• Jaz Hill hit a walkoff home run to center field in the bottom of the sixth inning to win the game for the Sun Devils by run rule, 8-0.

 
 
Up next:
Tomorrow on the final day of the Sun Devil Classic, Arizona State will wrap up the weekend against Ball State at 12:30 p.m. which can be seen on ASU Live stream.
 
Fans can keep up with all the news and action of ASU Softball this weekend and the rest of the season by following @ASUSoftball on Twitter and Facebook and @SunDevilSB on Instagram.
 
Game Schedule:
 
March 13:
ASU vs. Ball State @ 12:30 p.m. (Live Stats)
 
 
Game Notes Facts:

• The Sun Devils faced the Cougars of BYU twice during the regular season when BYU traveled to Tempe and ASU picked up two wins as the Sun Devils lead the all-time series 16-1 where the first matchup came in 1974.
• This will be the second time in program history that ASU has taken on UMKC. In the first matchup between the programs in 2008, the Sun Devils won 15-2 by run-rule.
• The Sun Devils look to take a lead in the all-time series against Ball State as they are currently at a 1-1 tie where ASU won a 10-0 shutout over BSU back in 1998.
• ASU has a 4-0 lead over Rutgers in the all-time series where it defeated Rutgers 19-0 in a game back in 2010.
• In a series dating 50 years, ASU holds an all-time series lead over New Mexico State 42-7.
• Not only does Cydney Sanders lead her team in batting averages, but she also is eighth in the country for her average. She accumulated six hits over the weekend with two of those being home runs.
• Marissa Schuld continues to tally up strikeouts as she's had 42 throughout the season while pitching 29.1 innings and allowing just two walks.
• Yani Acuña's 15 RBIs on the season is good for 23rd in the country and her batting average is currently ninth in the country.