TEMPE, Ariz. – The 13th- ranked Arizona State Sun Devils (22-3) split a Wednesday evening doubleheader against the Iowa Hawkeyes (10-9), falling 3-1 in the first game and then topping the Hawkeyes 9-0 in the second.
"I think we faced a very good pitcher for Iowa, she pitched a great game," head coach Trisha Ford said. "We didn't make the adjustments we needed to in the first game, but I was very pleased with the way we came out in the second game. We got on the board right away and started to go back to playing our game."
Game 1: No. 13 Arizona State 1, Iowa 3
In the first game of the evening, the Sun Devils fell to the Hawkeyes, 3-1. Senior right-hander Dale Ryndak made her sixth start of the season, allowing just one run in four innings of work. Ryndak was relieved by fellow senior Breanna Macha, who would strike out three over the final three innings.
It took the Arizona State offense a few innings to get going against Iowa ace Allison Doocy, finally breaking through with a run in the sixth inning sparking an attempted comeback.
Kicking off the game, Ryndak worked around a one-out single, striking out a pair of Hawkeyes in the process, to put a zero up on the board. Continuing to display her composure in the circle, the veteran right-hander worked out of another jam in the second inning, after two runners reached base with one out.
The game remained scoreless through three innings, with Iowa breaking through first in the top of the fourth on an RBI single to left field.
Iowa would go on to tack on an additional two runs in the fifth to extend their lead to 3-0 in the fifth inning, but Macha would make quick work of the Hawkeye lineup in the top half of the sixth, helping jumpstart a rally from the Sun Devil offense in the bottom half of the sixth.
The deep Arizona State lineup finally put a dent into the lead, scoring their first run of the game due in large part to heads-up baserunner from sophomore Kindra Hackbarth. The speedy outfielder led off the inning with a single, but would proceed to steal second, her fourth stolen base of the year. With a runner in scoring position, Jade Gortarez would deliver with a clutch RBI-Double to right field that scored Hackbarth and cut the Iowa lead to 3-1.
Breanna Macha provided the Sun Devils some hope, throwing a scoreless top of the seventh, but the potent ASU offense was unable to capitalize, falling to Iowa 3-1.
Game 2: No, 13 Arizona State 9, Iowa 0
In the second half of a Wednesday evening doubleheader, the No. 13 Arizona State Sun Devils defeated the Hawkeyes, 9-0, in a five-inning run rule victory.
Sophomore left-hand pitcher G Juarez kept Iowa scoreless through all five innings in the circle, matching a career-high 13 strikeouts on the evening, her seventh double-digit performance in that category this season. The reigning Pac-12 Pitcher of the Week allowed just one hit in her five innings pitched, recording her ninth win of the season.
"I think G has been fun to watch," Ford said of the sophomore's outing. "She has great pace on the mound and she has been lights out. She faced 16 tonight and struck out 16 of them. It is fun to see someone put it all together and I think she has done that consecutively for a while now. I know she is excited and she has embraced the role."
Arizona State took an early 2-0 lead in the first inning when Nichole Chilson singled up the middle, bringing in Morgan Howe and Kindra Hackbarth.
The Sun Devils tacked on two more runs in the second when sophomore Jade Gortarez roped an RBI single up the middle that extended the ASU lead to 4-0.
Arizona State continued to distance themselves offensively, scoring one run in the third and four in the fourth to increase their lead to 9-0. Three of the fourth-inning runs came from a Danielle Gibson homerun, her ninth of the season, which brought in baserunners Hackbarth and DeNae Chatman.
"The team did a great job bouncing back," Ford added. "It is a long season and it is tough. We have played a lot of games the last ten days. I was very happy with the way they came out and we are excited to start Pac-12 play."
The Sun Devils will be back in action this weekend to begin Pac-12 Conference play with a three-game series against top-ranked Washington. The series will get underway with game one on Saturday, March 17 at 5 p.m. followed by game two Sunday at 2 p.m., with the series finale scheduled for Monday at 2 p.m. AZT. All three games will be televised by the Pac-12 Network with Daron Sutton and Natasha Watley on the call. Fans can follow all of the action from the 2018 Sun Devil softball season by following @ASUSoftball on Twitter.
"I think we faced a very good pitcher for Iowa, she pitched a great game," head coach Trisha Ford said. "We didn't make the adjustments we needed to in the first game, but I was very pleased with the way we came out in the second game. We got on the board right away and started to go back to playing our game."
Game 1: No. 13 Arizona State 1, Iowa 3
In the first game of the evening, the Sun Devils fell to the Hawkeyes, 3-1. Senior right-hander Dale Ryndak made her sixth start of the season, allowing just one run in four innings of work. Ryndak was relieved by fellow senior Breanna Macha, who would strike out three over the final three innings.
It took the Arizona State offense a few innings to get going against Iowa ace Allison Doocy, finally breaking through with a run in the sixth inning sparking an attempted comeback.
Kicking off the game, Ryndak worked around a one-out single, striking out a pair of Hawkeyes in the process, to put a zero up on the board. Continuing to display her composure in the circle, the veteran right-hander worked out of another jam in the second inning, after two runners reached base with one out.
The game remained scoreless through three innings, with Iowa breaking through first in the top of the fourth on an RBI single to left field.
Iowa would go on to tack on an additional two runs in the fifth to extend their lead to 3-0 in the fifth inning, but Macha would make quick work of the Hawkeye lineup in the top half of the sixth, helping jumpstart a rally from the Sun Devil offense in the bottom half of the sixth.
The deep Arizona State lineup finally put a dent into the lead, scoring their first run of the game due in large part to heads-up baserunner from sophomore Kindra Hackbarth. The speedy outfielder led off the inning with a single, but would proceed to steal second, her fourth stolen base of the year. With a runner in scoring position, Jade Gortarez would deliver with a clutch RBI-Double to right field that scored Hackbarth and cut the Iowa lead to 3-1.
Breanna Macha provided the Sun Devils some hope, throwing a scoreless top of the seventh, but the potent ASU offense was unable to capitalize, falling to Iowa 3-1.
Game 2: No, 13 Arizona State 9, Iowa 0
In the second half of a Wednesday evening doubleheader, the No. 13 Arizona State Sun Devils defeated the Hawkeyes, 9-0, in a five-inning run rule victory.
Sophomore left-hand pitcher G Juarez kept Iowa scoreless through all five innings in the circle, matching a career-high 13 strikeouts on the evening, her seventh double-digit performance in that category this season. The reigning Pac-12 Pitcher of the Week allowed just one hit in her five innings pitched, recording her ninth win of the season.
"I think G has been fun to watch," Ford said of the sophomore's outing. "She has great pace on the mound and she has been lights out. She faced 16 tonight and struck out 16 of them. It is fun to see someone put it all together and I think she has done that consecutively for a while now. I know she is excited and she has embraced the role."
Arizona State took an early 2-0 lead in the first inning when Nichole Chilson singled up the middle, bringing in Morgan Howe and Kindra Hackbarth.
The Sun Devils tacked on two more runs in the second when sophomore Jade Gortarez roped an RBI single up the middle that extended the ASU lead to 4-0.
Arizona State continued to distance themselves offensively, scoring one run in the third and four in the fourth to increase their lead to 9-0. Three of the fourth-inning runs came from a Danielle Gibson homerun, her ninth of the season, which brought in baserunners Hackbarth and DeNae Chatman.
"The team did a great job bouncing back," Ford added. "It is a long season and it is tough. We have played a lot of games the last ten days. I was very happy with the way they came out and we are excited to start Pac-12 play."
The Sun Devils will be back in action this weekend to begin Pac-12 Conference play with a three-game series against top-ranked Washington. The series will get underway with game one on Saturday, March 17 at 5 p.m. followed by game two Sunday at 2 p.m., with the series finale scheduled for Monday at 2 p.m. AZT. All three games will be televised by the Pac-12 Network with Daron Sutton and Natasha Watley on the call. Fans can follow all of the action from the 2018 Sun Devil softball season by following @ASUSoftball on Twitter.