After Friday's offensive performance, it would be hard for the ASU softball team to duplicate its success.
After hitting six home runs Friday against No. 10 Cal, ASU’s offense exploded again. The Sun Devils knocked three more home runs in an 11-0 win over the Golden Bears Saturday.
The win secured a series victory for ASU (41-7, 12-5 Pac-12) over Cal (35-11, 9-8 Pac-12) with the series finale coming on Sunday.
Coach Clint Mayers said the offensive explosions are because the team is executing its plan.
"If you stay within your plan, the chances of success multiply,” Myers said. “When we’re able to do that kind of thing over and over, and we’ve been able to do it two days in a row. The question is can we do it a third day, a fourth day, and a fifth day.”
The plan, for sophomore catcher Amber Freeman is to find a pitch on one half of the plate.
“I split the plate in half,” Freeman said. “Depending on what the pitcher’s throwing, I usually pick a side of the plate that I’m going to stick with until I get two strikes. But lately, they’ve been throwing me both sides of the plate, and I’ve just been focusing on getting a good pitch up that I can drive.”
For sophomore Bethany Kemp, one of the hottest hitters on the team, her plan is to drive a ball high in the strike zone.
Both plans worked for both hitters. Each homered against Cal in the first and second games of the series.
Much like the opening game, there was little doubt in the outcome right from the start.
In the first inning, sophomore third baseman Haley Steele put ASU in the lead 3-0 with a three-run home run.
One inning later, Freeman hit a three-run home run of her own, giving ASU a commanding 6-0 lead. Two batters later, Kemp went deep to center field, plating two more runs.
The first 20 runs in the series for Cal and ASU came via the home run.
ASU cruised with an 11-0 over Cal.
Junior pitcher Mackenzie Popescue pitched five scoreless innings for ASU and she picked up the win, her first since April 6.
“I thought Mackenzie Popescue pitched a heck of a game,” Myers said. “They’re an awfully good hitting ball club.”
Reach the reporter at justin.janssen@asu.edu or follow him on Twitter @jjanssen11
