Despite battling overcast skies and steady rainfall, the ASU softball team dominated on the diamond and at the plate with four straight victories in the Littlewood Classic.
The No. 9 Sun Devils (9-1) scored a combined 52 runs, with each of their wins coming via the run rule.
ASU handed Seattle a 10-0 loss to kick off the Littlewood Classic on Friday afternoon, and then defeated Illinois State 13-4 later that evening.
Saturday’s games were rained out, causing ASU’s matchup against Iowa to be canceled. The Sun Devils battled the weather once again on Sunday to defeat Idaho State 16-1, and then in the weekend finale, ASU jumped all over Seattle for the second time with a 13-2 victory.
Heading into the weekend, the Sun Devils hoped to develop an aggressive approach in the batters’ box.
“I definitely think we took that into action this week,” junior outfielder Talor Haro said. “By not taking as many pitches, being aggressive, not taking so many strikes and jumping on the first strike we see.”
In the first game on Friday, ASU faced off against the Redhawks (0-10) and wasted no time in starting the scoring attack.
Junior shortstop Katelyn Boyd started with a leadoff double and scored one batter later on Haro’s single. In the second inning, senior catcher Kaylyn Castillo blasted a solo home run to put ASU ahead, 2-0.
Later in the inning, senior first baseman Mandy Urfer launched a two-run home run to left field, and then smacked her second home run of the game one inning later with a three-run shot.
“I’m certainly not trying to hit a home run,” Urfer said. “I’ve been working a lot this week on getting on top of the ball. I think I was getting a little bit under it actually, but because I was staying consistent with my lower half, I think I just mis-hit the ball and it happened to go far.”
ASU freshman pitcher Mackenzie Popescue set the Redhawks down in order in the bottom of the fifth to earn her first collegiate win.
Friday’s second game brought more offensive firepower from ASU.
It was Boyd again who jumpstarted the ASU scoring attack with a leadoff home run in the bottom of the first, and then would add another home run later in the game.
The Sun Devils were down 4-3 heading into the bottom of the fifth, but with Boyd on third and Haro on second, senior third baseman Krista Donnenwirth laced a single to score them both and to reclaim the lead.
Then with two outs and the bases loaded in the same inning, a wild pitch scored junior outfielder Annie Lockwood as the other runners advanced to second and third.
Urfer then smacked a single up the middle to plate two runs and extend ASU’s lead to 8-4.
In the bottom of the sixth with ASU leading 9-4 and the bases loaded, Lockwood crushed a walk-off grand slam to seal the 13-4 win.
After a short rain delay on Sunday, the Sun Devils came out hitting yet again. Behind five solid innings from junior pitcher Hillary Bach, ASU cruised to a 16-1 win over Idaho State (1-4).
“Today felt good,” Bach said. “It was fun, not a big fan of the rain, but it was better than sitting in the locker room. It was cool to be out there, good defense behind me, felt confident, and a lot of run support. It was a good game.”
Then came ASU’s second meeting with Seattle, and similar to the first meeting between these two teams, the Sun Devils scored early and often.
A three-run homer from junior infielder Christina Zambrana highlighted the Sun Devil scoring.
Freshman pitcher Dallas Escobedo got the start in the circle, and struck out six batters while not allowing a hit through three innings. Escobedo and Popescue combined to one-hit Seattle.
“I thought all the pitchers did a good job all weekend long,” ASU coach Clint Myers said. “Dallas was a little sick the first night, we’re trying to get her back into the swing of things. I thought she threw the ball well today. Hillary and I thought she did a good job throwing strikes and making the pitches when she had to. Mack is getting better as a youngster out there, starting to feel more comfortable.”
Reach the reporter at gregory.dillard@asu.edu
