No. 22 ASU's two victories on Saturday were different than previous games this season.
The Sun Devils' first game, which started about and hour late, came against Illinois State. ASU won 6-0.
However, it started the game painfully slow offensively, which was an uncommon for the Sun Devils this weekend. After senior catcher Katee Aguirre scored off a wild throw from the Redbirds' catcher to third base in the first inning, ASU was unable to score again until the fourth.
Junior pitcher Kelsey Kessler worked with the marginal lead. She pitched a complete game, improving her record to 3-0 on the season with 12 strikeouts and a WHIP of 0.870.
As a transfer out of Kansas, Kessler notes that she has been settling in with the team.
"I don't think I have been on a team that meshes this good in awhile," said Kessler "And I think us being underrated is going to surprise a lot of people."
ASU left six players stranded on base this game. Unable to knock a runner in, the offense looked to adjust at the plate.
In the bottom of the 4th inning, freshman third baseman Taylor Becerra hit a slow rolling grounder to third base and outran the throw. Then, with two outs and a runner on 1st base, ASU junior catcher Sashel Palacios hit a booming two-run homer to left field, which put the Sun Devils up 3-0.
"The talk in the dugout was to continue playing our game and focus on our approach," Palacios said. "Just to slow the game down and get good pitches, and if we do that, were unstoppable."
The ASU defense played flawless softball with no errors on the field against the Redbirds.
ASU secured the win by adding three more runs to the board in the sixth inning, extending the lead to 6-0 and holding it there to end the game.
ASU then took on Northern Iowa in another affair with a lack of scoring after the first.
The game started off with a solo home run from junior shortstop Chelsea Gonzales in the 1st inning, putting the Sun Devils on the board 1-0.
Gonzales continues to rack up the numbers in her home run column. This home run made it her fourth of the season and a career high of 23.
The Panthers played exceptional defense, keeping the Sun Devils to only one run in the first.
Sophomore pitcher Breanna Macha started the game for ASU, pitching a total of five innings. Macha only allowed four hits and one walk.
Neither team scored a run after Gonzales' home run in the first four innings, which went by quickly. ASU got a hot bat in the fifth.
With runners in scoring position, senior left fielder Abby Spiel hit a triple in the gap, pushing in two more runs and putting the Sun Devils up 3-0.
Kessler came in to finish the game for the Sun Devils at the top of the sixth inning. She faced nine batters and struck out three of them.
ASU defense displayed another phenomenal performance this game, holding Northern Iowa to no runs until the top of the seventh when junior catcher Anna Varriano sent a solo homer to center. It wasn't enough for the Panthers, and the Sun Devils clinched a 3-1 victory.
Co-interim coach Letty Olivarez notes that the pitchers have been really focused before coming into these long tournaments.
"I thought both pitchers were mentally prepared coming into today's games," said Olivarez. "We shouldn't have given up the last home run, and as a result, we need to focus on putting the nail in the coffin and just finishing the game strong."
The Sun Devils continue with one last game of the Littlewood Classic tomorrow as they face Montana at 1:30 p.m.
Reach the reporter at lmbrunet@asu.edu or follow @Leah_brunette on Twitter.
Reach the reporter at kcvalen1@asu.edu or follow @kvalenzuela17 on Twitter.
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