TEMPE, Ariz. – The sixth-ranked Arizona State softball team punched their ticket to Oklahoma City for the first time since 2013, defeating the 11th- ranked South Carolina Gamecocks in the Tempe Super Regional with a 5-2 win Saturday evening at Farrington Stadium.
The four-time national champion Sun Devils (1972, 1973, 2008, and 2011) will make their 12th appearance in the Women's College World Series in the NCAA era, and 18th including the pre-NCAA era.
Senior pitcher Breanna Macha took care of business in the circle, striking out six Gamecock batters and holding South Carolina to just two runs for her 16th win of the season.
After a scoreless first inning for both teams, the Sun Devils recorded three consecutive hits from Jade Gortarez (single), Rylee Maston (double) and Skylar McCarty (RBI single) with two outs to push ASU out front, 1-0, in the top of the second.
Two more scoreless innings pursued for the Sun Devils as they carried their 1-0 lead into the bottom of the fourth before the Gamecocks took advantage of a defensive error to tie the game heading into the fifth inning.
But the Sun Devils fought back to take control with a four-run top of the fifth, to give the Sun Devils a 5-1 lead. McCarty, Kindra Hackbarth and Taylor Becerra each recorded singles to load the bases before Morgan Howe came through with an RBI single and leave the bases loaded for designated hitter DeNae Chatman. Chatman did exactly what she has been doing as of late, absolutely blasting a three-RBI double to left center, bringing home all three Sun Devil runners to extend the lead, 5-1.
The Gamecocks would score one more run in the bottom of the sixth, but the ASU defense took care of the rest of the game to seal the 5-2 Arizona State victory in the bottom of the seventh.
The two-game sweep of the Gamecocks in the Super Regional marks the seventh time a Sun Devil team has gone undefeated at a Super Regional, the last time being in the 2013 WCWS bid against Kentucky. The Sun Devils are now 24-14 against SEC teams in postseason play, including a perfect 4-0 in 2018.
Next the Sun Devils make the trek to Oklahoma City for the first round of the 2018 WCWS. Arizona State will face Pac-12 foe Oregon, the top-seeded team in the tournament starting on Thursday, May 31. Fans can keep up with all of the action from the 2018 postseason by following @ASUSoftball on Twitter.
The four-time national champion Sun Devils (1972, 1973, 2008, and 2011) will make their 12th appearance in the Women's College World Series in the NCAA era, and 18th including the pre-NCAA era.
Senior pitcher Breanna Macha took care of business in the circle, striking out six Gamecock batters and holding South Carolina to just two runs for her 16th win of the season.
After a scoreless first inning for both teams, the Sun Devils recorded three consecutive hits from Jade Gortarez (single), Rylee Maston (double) and Skylar McCarty (RBI single) with two outs to push ASU out front, 1-0, in the top of the second.
Two more scoreless innings pursued for the Sun Devils as they carried their 1-0 lead into the bottom of the fourth before the Gamecocks took advantage of a defensive error to tie the game heading into the fifth inning.
But the Sun Devils fought back to take control with a four-run top of the fifth, to give the Sun Devils a 5-1 lead. McCarty, Kindra Hackbarth and Taylor Becerra each recorded singles to load the bases before Morgan Howe came through with an RBI single and leave the bases loaded for designated hitter DeNae Chatman. Chatman did exactly what she has been doing as of late, absolutely blasting a three-RBI double to left center, bringing home all three Sun Devil runners to extend the lead, 5-1.
Denae Chatman busts it open for the Sun Devils! @ASUSoftball leads 5-1 in the fifth! #NCAASoftball pic.twitter.com/CALRMthRyb
— NCAA Softball (@NCAAsoftball) May 27, 2018
The Gamecocks would score one more run in the bottom of the sixth, but the ASU defense took care of the rest of the game to seal the 5-2 Arizona State victory in the bottom of the seventh.
The two-game sweep of the Gamecocks in the Super Regional marks the seventh time a Sun Devil team has gone undefeated at a Super Regional, the last time being in the 2013 WCWS bid against Kentucky. The Sun Devils are now 24-14 against SEC teams in postseason play, including a perfect 4-0 in 2018.
Next the Sun Devils make the trek to Oklahoma City for the first round of the 2018 WCWS. Arizona State will face Pac-12 foe Oregon, the top-seeded team in the tournament starting on Thursday, May 31. Fans can keep up with all of the action from the 2018 postseason by following @ASUSoftball on Twitter.