TEMPE – With a pair of wins over Iowa State on Saturday at Farrington Stadium, Sun Devil Softball completed a weekend sweep of a three-game series against the Cyclones. Arizona State (11-2) won Saturday's games in different fashion, taking the opener 2-1 before winning the nightcap 9-4.
ASU has now won a season-long seven straight games – all at Farrington Stadium – with the next eight games set to be played at home.
GAME ONE: Arizona State 2, Iowa State 1
The Sun Devils managed just four hits in the first game of the day, but solo home runs from Emily Cazares and Jordyn VanHook proved to be the difference. Mac Osborne held the Cyclones to one run over 4.2 innings before Kenzie Brown and Marissa Schuld completed the job in the circle.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
GAME TWO: Arizona State 9, Iowa State 4
Trailing 1-0 into the bottom of the third, the Sun Devils scored nine runs over the next four innings to close out the weekend sweep. ASU posted 12 hits with five going for extra bases. VanHook hit another two home runs and Brown was the winner in the circle for the third time of the series.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
NOTABLES:
Arizona State Head Coach Megan Bartlett:
On Jordyn VanHook's performance as of late:
"It's just a testament to Jordyn's hardwork, she grinds and works and she works with great intention. She's a really good teammate, she waited her turn. She learned a new defensive position when we came back in August because that's the kind of kid Jordyn is. None of us are taking any credit for her success, that's all Jordyn. Now she's just helping the ball program in incredible ways."
On Kenzie Brown hitting and pitching in the second game:
"Kenz's is a really great athlete and she is a left handed triple threat player and she did a really nice job with that in travel ball. She can run, so she actually hit a triple in fall ball and she went barreling in head first."
On what Kayla Lissy brings defensively to the program:
"She brings a sense of calm. What Kayla Lissy can do at shortstop is absolutely special on the national scale. Lis is dynamic and competitive and she's a baller and she's a good teammate, she's great in the clubhouse, too."
Alexa Milius
On what changed in the 2nd game that allowed the Sun Devils to regain the series' momentum and close it out strong:
"Honestly, anytime someone puts a pitcher in after we just saw them, we just take that and do what we can. We've seen her - just try to attack early and get on top of them, make them make their decsion. I think we did a really good job of getting on top of her early and forcing them to go to the bullpen."
On what her mindset is when she needs to make a big defensive play:
"I have a pre-pitch routine, I don't know if you've seen it - I always go to my pitcher, always come back, and then when I'm getting ready for the pitch, I always say 'it's coming to me, it's coming to me', and if you're expecting it, you're going to do a lot better than if you're not expecting it, right? So I'm always saying 'the ball's coming to me' and I'm always ready for it."
On Kenzie Brown's effort during both of today's games, particularly in the second one:
"Yeah, I mean, Kenzie Brown has a heart of fire - she's ready for anything, and she loves when we're behind her, so we're just doing our job to keep her pushing. She is go-go-go all the time, and she's just amazing, so for her to be able to push through is something that we really admire, and we always want to have her back."
On how the team (particularly the infielders) kept their morale high, even when some balls got past them and into the outfield:
"On those ones, our motto is just to 'get dirty' and keep it in the infield. Sometimes they just beat us, right? They were hitting some balls really hard through that gap, but we always know that our pitcher is going to get us another one, and we're going to be able to handle it, so it's kind of a mindset. We can't let it get to us, right? Just get the next one."
On how the communication between her and teammate Savannah Price led to their success in the infield during today's doubleheader:
"Yeah, so, again, just like, staying with each other, being like 'we got this, we got this - anything coming our way, we're going to stop it, we're going to make the play. Just being positive with each other, being in our back pockets, always communicating what the next play is, and stuff like that. Communication is key in the infield."
On what it's been like for the team to be playing at home for such a long time, and what the adjustment to road games will be like:
"Honestly, I don't - well, we were away our first weekend. I think our dynamic is going to be just as good. We love Club Farrington, we love playing here behind our fans, but our fans love to travel along with us, and honestly, it doesn't really change much, right? We're just going to go into a different place and play the same game, and keep getting better as we go."
On what's been working for her to be so successful as a hitter at this point in the season:
"It's going to sound absolutely insane, I just tell myself 'see ball, hit ball'. The more you complicate it, the harder it is. We watch film, I have an approach going up to each pitcher, and really just my goal is to hit it hard - and score the runners when they're on base, too, that's really about it."
Infielder Jordyn VanHook
On having a talented group around her:
"I am very for the team, so I always wish upon everyone success but it does help a lot when we pick each other up and we have our teammate behind us at any point in time. So, it's just a great atmosphere and I love being a part of this team that's so supportive."
On making her own personal adjustments:
"I didn't have the most perfect day today but I was just keeping it simple and I know everyone on this team has each other's backs and if I'm not doing well one day, I know someone like Yanni, Jaz like anyone's gonna pick me up. I think it's just having that team support that really helps everyone in the lineup down the line."
On sense of security of knowing her teammates are also getting hits:
"Like Yanni, Jaz, it just goes on. We depend on everyone in the lineup, everyone is important whether they're on the bench coming in for pinch hitting, everyone is important but in the lineup we have a strong, powerful lineup right now. It's really working well for us and I just know if someone's going down, like I know 100 percent someone's gonna pick me back up and that's what I love about our lineup because it's positive at any given moment."
On experience and family ties with two sets of sisters on the team:
"It's great, we're all such a close group, it's awesome to have such great teammates and sisters, two double sisters on the team. It's awesome, so I just think our team chemistry right now and the atmosphere we have growing within this program is great and I'm super excited to see how it keeps exceeding throughout the season and in for years to come."
UP NEXT:
Arizona State will host the Sun Devil Classic next weekend, beginning next Friday, March 3 where the Sun Devils will play the first of five games, starting with New Mexico at 4 p.m. MST and then a primetime matchup against Charlotte after facing the Lobos. Coverage can be seen on ASU Live-Stream-2 and follow @ASUSoftball for all the latest coverage.
ASU has now won a season-long seven straight games – all at Farrington Stadium – with the next eight games set to be played at home.
GAME ONE: Arizona State 2, Iowa State 1
The Sun Devils managed just four hits in the first game of the day, but solo home runs from Emily Cazares and Jordyn VanHook proved to be the difference. Mac Osborne held the Cyclones to one run over 4.2 innings before Kenzie Brown and Marissa Schuld completed the job in the circle.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- VanHook continued her hot streak by blasting her seventh home run of the season over the left-field fence to open the scoring for the Sun Devils leading off the second inning.
- Iowa State got on the board via a sac fly in the top of the third, but the Cyclones stranded a runner in scoring position.
- With two on and two out in the top of the fifth, Brown came on in relief of Osborne and forced a groundout to end the inning.
- Each team would leave a runner in scoring position their next two times at bat.
- The Sun Devils went up 2-1 in the bottom of the sixth with a leadoff home run from Emily Cazares. It's her 2nd home run this season.
- Schuld pitched the seventh for ASU and earned her second save of the season with a pair of strikeouts.
STRAIGHT TO RIGHTFIELD. ??@emilyyycazares gives us the lead!
— Sun Devil Softball (@ASUSoftball) February 25, 2023
B6: ASU 2 /// ISU 1#ForksUp /// #O2V pic.twitter.com/sTEt4Ff7pD
GAME TWO: Arizona State 9, Iowa State 4
Trailing 1-0 into the bottom of the third, the Sun Devils scored nine runs over the next four innings to close out the weekend sweep. ASU posted 12 hits with five going for extra bases. VanHook hit another two home runs and Brown was the winner in the circle for the third time of the series.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
- Iowa State got on the board early in the 2nd inning with a home run from Milaysia Ochoa over the center field fence.
- Schuld got out of the inning with three strikeouts to give her four in the game and six for the day.
- Yanni Acuña knocked a ground-rule double off the right field wall to start the bottom of the 3rd. She scored the Sun Devil's first run of the game off an error following a single from Makenna Harper.
- After Cazares scored from an error on a delayed steal that gave ASU the lead, Alexa Milius singled home Harper for a 3-1 advantage.
- With a pair of runners on base following a Gianna Boccagno walk and Kayla Lissy single, Cazares drilled her first career triple down the right field line to score two runs.
- Iowa State made it a 5-2 game in the top of the 5th with an RBI double from Paige Nakashima.
- VanHook launched her eighth home run of the season over the left field wall to leadoff the bottom of the fifth to make it 6-2 Sun Devils.
- Acuña picked up a sacrifice fly later in the inning to extend the ASU lead to five.
- Shannon Cunningham opened the ASU sixth with a pinch-hit single and scored when VanHook homered for the second time of the game and ninth time this season, giving the Sun Devils a 9-2 lead.
- Iowa State scored on couple of errors by the Sun Devils to make it 9-4 in the top of the seventh.
THEY JUST KEEP ON COMING ???? ??
— Sun Devil Softball (@ASUSoftball) February 26, 2023
That is No. 9 for @jordynvanhook this season ??
B6: ASU 9 /// ISU 2#ForksUp /// #O2V pic.twitter.com/PKKGPVQzSl
NOTABLES:
- The Sun Devils hit multiple home runs in all three games of the series and now have eight games with 2-plus homers this season.
- ASU hit hit a home run in 12 straight games.
- The 2-1 victory in game one marks the fewest amount of runs in a win since defeating Texas, 2-0 on Feb. 25, 2022.
- Sun Devil Softball won their third game of the season decided by one run, already tying last year's mark. For the entire 2022 campaign, ASU won three one-run games.
- The first game featured Cazares smashing her second home run of the season. It was her fourth career home run to come in the sixth inning or later, her last coming against UCLA on May 8, 2022 with a walk-off three-run home run.
- In the second game of the doubleheader, Lissy achieved her first career hit as a Sun Devil with an infield single.
- Brown won all three games of the series and each of the last four ASU games. She is the first Sun Devil pitcher since Kelsey Kessler in March of 2016 to earn the win in four consecutive games.
- Brown also recorded her first career hit with a double in the sixth of game two.
- VanHook finished the day with three home runs, including her first career two home run game. She also extended her career-best hitting streak to eight games.
Arizona State Head Coach Megan Bartlett:
On Jordyn VanHook's performance as of late:
"It's just a testament to Jordyn's hardwork, she grinds and works and she works with great intention. She's a really good teammate, she waited her turn. She learned a new defensive position when we came back in August because that's the kind of kid Jordyn is. None of us are taking any credit for her success, that's all Jordyn. Now she's just helping the ball program in incredible ways."
On Kenzie Brown hitting and pitching in the second game:
"Kenz's is a really great athlete and she is a left handed triple threat player and she did a really nice job with that in travel ball. She can run, so she actually hit a triple in fall ball and she went barreling in head first."
On what Kayla Lissy brings defensively to the program:
"She brings a sense of calm. What Kayla Lissy can do at shortstop is absolutely special on the national scale. Lis is dynamic and competitive and she's a baller and she's a good teammate, she's great in the clubhouse, too."
Alexa Milius
On what changed in the 2nd game that allowed the Sun Devils to regain the series' momentum and close it out strong:
"Honestly, anytime someone puts a pitcher in after we just saw them, we just take that and do what we can. We've seen her - just try to attack early and get on top of them, make them make their decsion. I think we did a really good job of getting on top of her early and forcing them to go to the bullpen."
On what her mindset is when she needs to make a big defensive play:
"I have a pre-pitch routine, I don't know if you've seen it - I always go to my pitcher, always come back, and then when I'm getting ready for the pitch, I always say 'it's coming to me, it's coming to me', and if you're expecting it, you're going to do a lot better than if you're not expecting it, right? So I'm always saying 'the ball's coming to me' and I'm always ready for it."
On Kenzie Brown's effort during both of today's games, particularly in the second one:
"Yeah, I mean, Kenzie Brown has a heart of fire - she's ready for anything, and she loves when we're behind her, so we're just doing our job to keep her pushing. She is go-go-go all the time, and she's just amazing, so for her to be able to push through is something that we really admire, and we always want to have her back."
On how the team (particularly the infielders) kept their morale high, even when some balls got past them and into the outfield:
"On those ones, our motto is just to 'get dirty' and keep it in the infield. Sometimes they just beat us, right? They were hitting some balls really hard through that gap, but we always know that our pitcher is going to get us another one, and we're going to be able to handle it, so it's kind of a mindset. We can't let it get to us, right? Just get the next one."
On how the communication between her and teammate Savannah Price led to their success in the infield during today's doubleheader:
"Yeah, so, again, just like, staying with each other, being like 'we got this, we got this - anything coming our way, we're going to stop it, we're going to make the play. Just being positive with each other, being in our back pockets, always communicating what the next play is, and stuff like that. Communication is key in the infield."
On what it's been like for the team to be playing at home for such a long time, and what the adjustment to road games will be like:
"Honestly, I don't - well, we were away our first weekend. I think our dynamic is going to be just as good. We love Club Farrington, we love playing here behind our fans, but our fans love to travel along with us, and honestly, it doesn't really change much, right? We're just going to go into a different place and play the same game, and keep getting better as we go."
On what's been working for her to be so successful as a hitter at this point in the season:
"It's going to sound absolutely insane, I just tell myself 'see ball, hit ball'. The more you complicate it, the harder it is. We watch film, I have an approach going up to each pitcher, and really just my goal is to hit it hard - and score the runners when they're on base, too, that's really about it."
Infielder Jordyn VanHook
On having a talented group around her:
"I am very for the team, so I always wish upon everyone success but it does help a lot when we pick each other up and we have our teammate behind us at any point in time. So, it's just a great atmosphere and I love being a part of this team that's so supportive."
On making her own personal adjustments:
"I didn't have the most perfect day today but I was just keeping it simple and I know everyone on this team has each other's backs and if I'm not doing well one day, I know someone like Yanni, Jaz like anyone's gonna pick me up. I think it's just having that team support that really helps everyone in the lineup down the line."
On sense of security of knowing her teammates are also getting hits:
"Like Yanni, Jaz, it just goes on. We depend on everyone in the lineup, everyone is important whether they're on the bench coming in for pinch hitting, everyone is important but in the lineup we have a strong, powerful lineup right now. It's really working well for us and I just know if someone's going down, like I know 100 percent someone's gonna pick me back up and that's what I love about our lineup because it's positive at any given moment."
On experience and family ties with two sets of sisters on the team:
"It's great, we're all such a close group, it's awesome to have such great teammates and sisters, two double sisters on the team. It's awesome, so I just think our team chemistry right now and the atmosphere we have growing within this program is great and I'm super excited to see how it keeps exceeding throughout the season and in for years to come."
UP NEXT:
Arizona State will host the Sun Devil Classic next weekend, beginning next Friday, March 3 where the Sun Devils will play the first of five games, starting with New Mexico at 4 p.m. MST and then a primetime matchup against Charlotte after facing the Lobos. Coverage can be seen on ASU Live-Stream-2 and follow @ASUSoftball for all the latest coverage.