When it comes to softball, there’s more to the game than meets the eye.

There is more than the excitement that stems from the offense, and more than the pride that is taken in the defense.

This is a game through which reputations are built on performance, and the ability to remain consistent becomes a key to the success of any team.

It’s as much a mental game as anything, and for the No. 3 Sun Devils (11-1, 0-0 Pac-10) obtaining a winning mindset is as big a goal as any.

“The game is mostly mental, and it’s really hard to break though that,” junior pitcher Megan Elliott said. “But once you do it, then you’re going to be even stronger. My motto is start strong, and try to finish stronger. That’s what I’ve been trying to do.”

Elliott, who earned the win for the Sun Devils in Sunday’s 10-2 victory over Idaho State, acknowledges her early season struggle to find her niche on the mound.

“I’ve been struggling a little bit,” Elliott said. “I’ve been taking it day by day, working from each experience.”

Elliott pitched for five innings in Sunday’s final game of the Littlewood Classic against Idaho State, giving up just three hits and one walk — a performance that showed confidence and the start of her transition.

“I felt a lot more confident [Sunday],” she said. “I took it out there and I felt really good. I’m just going to keep building off of it.”

The pitching was there, and the help that Elliott received from the offense only added to the show.

In the second inning, the Sun Devils blew the game open.

The team scored eight runs, including three on a home run by sophomore infielder Mandy Urfer, her second of the tournament.

These runs added to the two scored in the first inning off of a home run by senior outfielder Kaitlin Cochran.

“I thought we did a lot better in this tournament,” Urfer said. “We came out a lot stronger with the bats this weekend, and it went really well.”

The Sun Devils went 5-0 in the Littlewood Classic, boasting additional wins against Illinois State, Chattanooga, Iowa and Kent State.

“I think we played pretty well,” coach Clint Myers said. “We had some nice pitching and some timely hitting, but we have five really good games coming up this weekend. We need to go out there and take care of business.”

Reach the reporter at emiley.darling@asu.edu.