ASU softball’s star shortstop Katelyn Boyd (sophomore) had X-rays Monday on the two broken fingers in her left hand. The X-rays revealed that little has changed since she suffered the injury April 9, and the bones are still shattered.
“The swelling has gone down, so that’s kind of reduced some of the pain,” Boyd said. “I’ve kind of become immune to it.”
Despite the injury, Boyd hasn’t missed any time and is hitting .391 with four runs scored, three RBI, one home run, seven walks and four stolen bases for the No. 9 Sun Devils (37-10, 6-6 Pac-10).
But the ASU offense has sputtered at times since Boyd suffered the injury, and her return to form will likely be key for the remainder of Pac-10 play and the postseason.
“She’s going to be in the lineup,” ASU coach Clint Myers said. “She’s a tough kid. You learn how to endure. When something’s that important to you, you just go out and do it.”
One of the broken fingers is Boyd’s forefinger and the other her thumb. The injury makes it too painful for Boyd to grip the bat as she usually would, and takes away her power swing. She has had to adjust to slap hitting at times.
“It was a little easier to flick the barrel than it was to hit away,” Boyd said. “This last weekend, I hit away the whole time.”
On the season, Boyd is hitting .435 with 45 RBI, 15 home runs and 23 stolen bases — all team highs.
ASU limits Pac-10-leading Pappas
Oregon freshman outfielder Samantha Pappas entered last weekend’s series leading the Pac-10 with a .453 batting average. She’d also hit 11 home runs and tallied 42 RBI.
Those are impressive numbers for a freshman, but ASU’s pitchers didn’t seem impressed.
Sophomore Hillary Bach and freshman Sam Parlich combined to limit the left-handed hitter to just one hit all weekend. The hit came off Parlich on Saturday.
“We pitched her very well,” Myers said. “We’ve got to have the mentality that every hitter we face — that we’ve got to do the same thing regardless.”
Bach didn’t just limit Pappas — she dominated her. Pappas went 0-for-6 with five strikeouts against Bach, only reaching base once on a walk.
“She’s a key player on that team, and I’m sure that a lot of momentum swings with her big hits,” Bach said. “Hitting is contagious, and if you can shut down a threat like that, it’s beneficial to shutting down the entire offense.”
Fight for first base
Senior Katie Crabb and junior Mandy Urfer have rotated in and out of the starting lineup at first base recently.
“We’ve got some great competition going there at first base,” Myers said. “That’s the toughest competition we’ve got for a position.”
Urfer got the start against UO and took advantage, going 6-for-9 on the weekend with three RBI. She’s hitting .340 on the season with 13 RBI and four home runs, but is hitting .444 in Pac-10 play.
“I know that every at-bat counts,” Urfer said. “As long as I stay hot right now, things are looking good.”
Crabb is hitting .287 on the year with 30 RBI and five home runs, including some key pinch-hit at-bats.
Reach the reporter at tyler.lockman@asu.edu
