(Photo: Tyler Rittenhouse/WCSN)
The Arizona State softball team ended a 22-year home opener winning streak Thursday night, as they lost their 2018 season opener in Tempe to the Tennessee Volunteers 7-4. This marks only the eighth season opener that the program has dropped in its 45 years of existence.
After a close battle in the first three innings, the Volunteers pulled away, winning their second game of the day.
The Sun Devils had 11 hits during Thursday night’s game while the Vols only had six.
In the second inning, senior Scarlet McSwain hit a three-run home run to bring Tennessee to their first lead of the game.
However, ASU did not back down, responding right back in the bottom of the second.
In her first ever at bat for the Sun Devils, transfer Maddi Hackbarth hit a two-run home run off of Caylan Arnold.
“It felt great, I was so stoked,” Hackbarth said. “We prepared all week watching film and I was ready, just waiting for the cookie, so I saw it and I hit it.”
Jade Gortarez hit a single into center field to bring in the tying run and make the score 3-3.
The Volunteers came right back in the top of the third, however, as Chelsea Seggern hit a two-run home run to bring the lead back in Tennessee’s favor.
Even though the Sun Devils starting pitcher Giselle Juarez let up two home runs, she still had a successful night.
“She had seven strikeouts in five innings, she’s going to be fine,” head coach Trisha Ford said. “She had two bad pitches, she’s a sophomore, first game, she’s going to be fine, I’m not worried about her at all.”
At the top of the sixth inning, Ford replaced Juarez with senior Breanna Macha. Macha then struck out three of the four batters she faced.
“I was excited because Breanna came in and they are a good combo together and mowed them down and there were a lot of good things,” Ford said.
In their final chances at the plate , the Sun Devils were unable to put any runs on the board, allowing the Vols to win 7-4.
For the Sun Devils, hitting the ball was not an issue. Hitting the ball when it mattered, however, was.
“I think just stringing some hits together, when you look and see how many hits we had, I think just stringing those timely hits together is just going to be the difference maker,” Macha said.
Despite the season-opener loss, the Sun Devils still have five games to play in the Kajikawa Classic this weekend.
“This shows a lot of heart and effort, when a team scores three and you come back right away, and you respond, that says a lot about our character as a team,’ Macha said. “So, I am pretty excited to see where this goes.”
On Friday, the Devils play Purdue at 2 p.m, and Nebraska at 7:30 p.m.. They host Notre Dame on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. and then play wrap up the weekend on Sunday against Indiana and St. Mary’s at 11:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., respectively.
