Cathedral City, Calif. -- The 17th- ranked Arizona State softball team improved to 13-2 on the season with a, 7-3, win over Cal State Fullerton Sunday afternoon to close out the 2018 Mary Nutter Classic.
The Sun Devils were anchored by senior pitcher Breanna Macha, who pitched her third complete game of the season. The Mesa, Ariz., native threw 97 pitches on the day, allowing just three runs on six hits, en route to her fourth win of the season.
The Sun Devils jumped out to an early, 1-0, lead when freshman first baseman Daniele Gibson launched a solo shot down the left line to leadoff the second inning. The homer was Gibson's team-leading fourth of the season, and pushed ASU's home run total to 16 on the season.
The Sun Devil lead would be short lived, as the Titans came storming back with a three-run top of the third that brought ASU back to the plate trailing by two runs in the third.
Arizona State's bats came to life again in the bottom of the fourth, exploding for four runs on five hits in the frame. First-year Sun Devil Bella Loomis go things started with an RBI single that brought in Nichole Chilson, before Kindra Hackbarth dropped down a perfect bunt single that scored Marisa Stankiewicz to tie the game at three.
The Sun Devils would pull away later in the inning when Jade Gortarez lined a two-RBI single through the middle, followed by an RBI single from Morgan Howe pushed the score to 5-3 heading to the fifth.
After holding Fullerton scoreless in the top of the fifth, Arizona State added two more when Loomis belted her second RBI single of the day into right, followed by K. Hackbarth scorching a hit through the right side to bring in ASU's final run of the game.
Through their five games this weekend, Arizona State out-hit opponents 41-27, en route to a 27-16 advantage in runs scored. As a staff, the Sun Devil pitching staff held opposing batters to a miniscule .207 batting average, and just eight earned runs.
The Sun Devils will be back in action this weekend when they host the 2018 Devil Classic next weekend. ASU will open the weekend with 7:00 p.m. (MST) game against Coastal Carolina. The Sun Devils will end their weekend stand with a doubleheader Saturday against Coastal Carolina and New Mexico State, with first pitches in those contests scheduled for 4:30 and 7:00 p.m.
The Sun Devils were anchored by senior pitcher Breanna Macha, who pitched her third complete game of the season. The Mesa, Ariz., native threw 97 pitches on the day, allowing just three runs on six hits, en route to her fourth win of the season.
The Sun Devils jumped out to an early, 1-0, lead when freshman first baseman Daniele Gibson launched a solo shot down the left line to leadoff the second inning. The homer was Gibson's team-leading fourth of the season, and pushed ASU's home run total to 16 on the season.
The Sun Devil lead would be short lived, as the Titans came storming back with a three-run top of the third that brought ASU back to the plate trailing by two runs in the third.
Arizona State's bats came to life again in the bottom of the fourth, exploding for four runs on five hits in the frame. First-year Sun Devil Bella Loomis go things started with an RBI single that brought in Nichole Chilson, before Kindra Hackbarth dropped down a perfect bunt single that scored Marisa Stankiewicz to tie the game at three.
The Sun Devils would pull away later in the inning when Jade Gortarez lined a two-RBI single through the middle, followed by an RBI single from Morgan Howe pushed the score to 5-3 heading to the fifth.
After holding Fullerton scoreless in the top of the fifth, Arizona State added two more when Loomis belted her second RBI single of the day into right, followed by K. Hackbarth scorching a hit through the right side to bring in ASU's final run of the game.
Through their five games this weekend, Arizona State out-hit opponents 41-27, en route to a 27-16 advantage in runs scored. As a staff, the Sun Devil pitching staff held opposing batters to a miniscule .207 batting average, and just eight earned runs.
The Sun Devils will be back in action this weekend when they host the 2018 Devil Classic next weekend. ASU will open the weekend with 7:00 p.m. (MST) game against Coastal Carolina. The Sun Devils will end their weekend stand with a doubleheader Saturday against Coastal Carolina and New Mexico State, with first pitches in those contests scheduled for 4:30 and 7:00 p.m.