No. 11 ASU softball finished the Orange and Blue Tournament undefeated by picking up two more run-rule wins against Incarnate Word and the University of Texas at El Paso on Saturday in El Paso, Texas.
The Sun Devils scored a combined 29 runs across the two games, including 21 against UTEP.
Incarnate Word
ASU used a six-run second inning to propel the team to an 8-0 shutout win.
Sophomore pitcher Lindsay Lopez recorded five strikeouts and surrendered just two hits in five innings pitched.
After a scoreless first inning, the Sun Devils got on the scoreboard in the second after redshirt junior second baseman Brittany Holland hit an RBI single. A sacrifice fly from fifth-year senior center fielder Kindra Hackbarth scored ASU's second run of the inning.
The Cardinals then walked sophomore right fielder Jazmine Hill to load the bases. Fifth-year senior catcher Maddi Hackbarth subsequently hit a grand slam to put ASU ahead 6-0.
Kindra Hackbarth scored on a wild pitch in the fourth inning, and Holland hit an RBI single in the fifth to give ASU its last two runs.
Lopez finished her shutout performance by holding Incarnate Word hitless in the final three innings.
University of Texas at El Paso
ASU blitzed UTEP with a 10-run fourth inning and eventually secured a 21-1 win. The team recorded 17 hits and went 8 for 15 with runners in scoring position.
Fifth-year senior pitcher Cielo Meza recorded four strikeouts and allowed one run on three hits in her start. Freshman pitcher Allison Royalty pitched the final two innings and struck out four batters.
The Sun Devils hit six home runs in the game: a solo home run, two two-run home runs, two three-run home runs and a grand slam from senior first baseman DeNae Chatman. ASU's last three runs came off of a home run from freshman Harleigh Braswell, the first home run of her career.
The lone run for the Miners came from a sacrifice fly by junior infielder Pate Cathey in the third inning.
ASU will return to Tempe to play Northern Illinois next on March 9 at 6 p.m. MST.
Reach the reporter at drodish@asu.edu and follow @david_rodish on Twitter.
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