Bottom of the eighth inning, score tied. One runner on second, two outs and Shelby Pacheco stepped to the plate. She was 0 for 3 on the day but still had a chance to end the game. Arizona State University pitcher Mackenzie Popescue placed the ball right over the plate, and Pacheco cracked the ball to deep center field. The ball hit the fence, and the runner on second scored.
Pacheco’s hit gave the Utes the 5-4 win over No. 2 ASU (39-7, 10-5 Pac-12), but they didn’t stop there. Utah won the next game 6-5, giving it the series victory over the vaunted Sun Devils.
The Utes (21-23-1, 6-11) dropped the final game 6-4, but key hits like Pacheco’s helped Utah earn its biggest wins of the season.
“I was up to bat, and … I just knew I was going to do it because I had it coming,” Pacheco said. “[When the game ended] everyone just tackled me, and I just wanted to cry because I felt so good.”
Head coach Amy Hogue was elated following the team’s series victory, which was its second straight conference series victory at home.
“I believe this team has a lot of fight, and they showed that and they battled,” Hogue said. “They didn’t look afraid, they played free and when we play free we play well.”
The second game was just as dramatic as the first. Utah jumped on ASU early, scoring six runs in the first two innings. The Sun Devils kept chipping away at the Utes’ four-run lead but couldn’t come back and fell in the top of the seventh 6-5.
Second baseman Jackie Sweet was productive in all three games. She was 4 for 10 in the series with two RBIs. She said beating a team of the caliber of Arizona State gives the Utes the confidence they need to make it into the postseason. The series win left her at a loss for words.
“I don’t even know what to say right now,” Sweet said. “I’m so happy, I can’t stop smiling. It’s great to beat them, and it was a whole team effort.”
To reach the postseason, the Utes feel they need to finish the season at .500 or better, and that path looks much more manageable after defeating the Sun Devils. Utah needs to win six of the next 10 games to reach that mark.
Wins over ASU will dramatically bolster Utah’s tournament résumé. Instead of just seeing losses at Weber State and UVU, the selection committee will also see wins versus one of the best teams in the country. Utah has six conference games left versus Stanford and Washington.
While the daunting task of having to beat even more top-ranked Pac-12 teams awaits, Utah’s next concern will be playing Southern Utah in Cedar City, though the Utes aren’t ready to step away from last weekend’s limelight just yet.
“I’m really excited for this group, they earned every bit of the joy they feel right now,” Hogue said. “I think we just came out and beat them, and not with just bloops here and there, but we hit the ball hard, made them change their game up, made them uncomfortable and got a big win for the Utes. Probably the biggest win [in] our history.”