ASU Softball: Torres homers, No. 22 Sun Devils beat Boise State

Alynah Torres always had big shoes to fill at the shortstop for the Sun Devils. Through the first two weekends of the season she’s accepted the role well. Torres lunched a three-run home run, her fifth blast of the season, to push Arizona State (9-2) 8-0 over Boise State (6-4) on Sunday.

“Honestly I’m trying to be as simple as possible,” Torres said. “I’m getting good pitches I guess. It’s good that my teammates support me. They trust me that I can play in that position and fill those big shoes. My teammates are so supportive. It’s be an honor.”

Torres’ home run was one of three Sun Devil hits despite the eight runs. Catcher Maddi Hackbarth and infielder Halle Harger had the others. Harger came in to pinch hit against her former team — she had transferred in from Boise State before the season — and drove in a run on a single. It’s the first RBI for Harger in a Sun Devil uniform and after a long road of battling cancer.

“For me it was really special,” Arizona State coach Trisha Ford said. “She’s gone through a lot battling and conquering cancer...She hasn’t played in a year and a half. It’s kinda cool it’s on cancer (awareness) weekend. You can’t draw that up any more than that. She’s worked really hard.”

Most of the offense came out of mistakes by Boise State. The Broncos committed four errors and walked eight Sun Devil batters that led to the eventual run-rule win.

The combination of Cielo Meza and Madison Preston got it done in the circle again on Sunday. Meza went the first four innings, she surrendered two hits and struck out four. Preston had a scoreless frame in the fifth.

The Sun Devils finish the Littlewood Classic a perfect 5-0. For a team filled with newcomers, young and old, the weekend helps display the potential inside the team.

“For some of those freshmen and our newbies just continuing to be like ‘hey, this thing is rolling, we’re in a good place.’ They’re starting to see what they really are capable of doing, and that to me is exciting ” Ford said. “Everybody is contributing. People from the top to the bottom lineup contributing. In the circle we got much better. (Meza) and Preston have logged some heavy and intense innings. They were just phenomenal all weekend long.”

Arizona State leaves Tempe for the first time this season next week for the Mary Nutter Classic in California. The Sun Devils have a six-game slate that includes Auburn and No. 8 Florida.