After a quick glance, senior outfielder Morgan Howe and junior infielder Jade Gortarez had the same idea, and then they ran into the dugout.
As ASU softball coach Trisha Ford received recognition from Sun Devil fans and team members with balloons, Howe and Gortarez instinctively grabbed the water cooler and drenched her.
The ASU softball team had just finished an 18-2 bounce-back win against Oregon State at Farrington Stadium in Tempe on Saturday night, which earned Ford her 100th win at ASU.
“Jade and I just looked at each other and we just knew,” Howe said. “We didn’t plan it, but we just looked at each other and instantly knew what was going on. It was great, and she had no idea. She thought she was getting cake in the face. Little did she know, we were behind her with the water.”
There was also a cake to celebrate the moment, and Howe – who loves cake – laughingly implied it wouldn’t last long.
“It is in the team room, so that will be gone tonight,” she said.
Ford didn’t realize she reached the milestone. Although Ford described the achievement as a honor, she was humble, saying her support staff in the program deserves the credit.
For Howe, there were no words to explain her honor in sharing the moment with the coach she always wanted to play for. After that, junior outfielder Kindra Hackbarth had a similar response for her coach.
“It was just a goosebump feeling,” Hackbarth said. “You just get the chills. She is an incredible coach, and she doesn’t deserve anything less. She deserves it all.”
No. 17 ASU (21-8, 1-1 Pac-12) wanted to move on from the disappointing performance it showed on Friday night.
In the postgame media session, Hackbarth said that the loss Friday was rough.
But the team came back Saturday with a different mindset from the defeat.
“I think you saw a completely different team,” Howe said. “We definitely bounced back and forgot about yesterday.”
Hackbarth came out swinging and she didn’t take much time to make an impact, hitting a lead-off home run over the centerfield wall.
After her 0-for-3 performance Friday, she was pleased to set the tone, and she finished 3-for-4 with a home run, a double and a single. She also got a diving catch in the outfield.
OSU (17-6, 1-1 Pac-12) answered with a run in the second inning.
Then, ASU kickstarted an offensive explosion in the third inning with 13 runs to give the Sun Devils a 14-1 lead.
Every player seemed to find a groove, including two-run home runs from Howe, who finished 3-for-4 with three RBIs.
In the fourth inning, senior outfielder Skylar McCarty joined her outfield buddies Hackbarth and Howe with a home run, a solo shot. Then, junior pinch hitter Alli Tatnall followed with a three-run home run for the final runs.
Ford acknowledged that Tatnall doesn’t play that much, but said she helps the team win and works hard. Tatnall received an opportunity and she capitalized on the first pitch she saw, sending the ball off the scoreboard, which Ford said was her favorite moment.
“I got goosebumps,” Ford said. “I think we all did.”
After the offensive outbursts in back-to-back innings, junior pitcher Samantha Mejia (12-3) finished the win on the mound, throwing a complete game with six strikeouts.
After the first conference win, Ford said she was proud that her team stepped up to the challenge and bounced back with improved offense, defense and pitching.
“I told them, ‘It is nice to see my team tonight,’” Ford said.
Reach the reporter at nahiatt@asu.edu or follow @NATE_HIATT on Twitter.
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