TEMPE, Ariz. — On a sunny afternoon at Farrington Stadium, the crack off No. 22 Arizona State’s bats wasn’t the loudest aspect to be heard in the stands.

“Our team chemistry is up,” freshman utility player JazMarie Roberts said. “We have a lot of fun in the dugout, that's just what it's all about. When you have fun like that, you're gonna produce.”

The Sun Devils (10-1) finished off the weekend run-ruling Pacific (1-9) 8-0 on Sunday, Feb. 15. Throughout the Littlewood Invitational, ASU showed no mercy to its opponents, staying undefeated and outscoring opponents 62-25 in a complete turnaround in hitting from the weekend before.  

However, head coach Megan Bartlett reminded the Sun Devils how good a hitting team they are. 

“It was just getting them to relax and let the game come to them and pick good pitches,” Bartlett said. “They're a good ball club, and we can absolutely hit a lot of depth. They were just trying too hard, had to remind them how good they were at hitting, and then it was off to the races.”

This Sunday, staying relaxed in the box helped graduate outfielder Kaylee Pond seal the final game of the invitational.  

“Coach Deck (Hailey Decker) said something that really stuck with me and the others,” Pond said. “Where the pitcher has to come to you, so you have to hunt a ball in your zone.”

The words of wisdom from Decker proved true, as the Sun Devil lineup racked up 15 total hits against the Tigers on Sunday. 

In some instances, it isn’t just the one in the box that struggles. ASU senior pitcher Kenzie Brown went for a rollercoaster ride in her previous game, against Indiana, allowing six runs but still capturing the win. 

However, because of the leader she is to this Sun Devils team, she was able to shut out Pacific and grab her third win on the season.

“We just love her, her teammates love her, and she's a tremendous competitor,” Bartlett said. “She's one of our absolute hardest working kids.

With the strength of the pitching on the ASU side, it sits comfortably knowing that Brown, junior pitcher Meika Lauppe and senior pitcher Aissa Silva, all have contributed hard work so far this season. 

“The pitching staff as a whole has done a really nice job for us,” Bartlett said. “Your pitching staff has to lead, that's just how this works. Nobody in softball is going to be able to out-hit an average pitching staff, and ours is very good, so we certainly have that going for us.”

In addition to finishing the invitational with a win, the Sun Devils are now on a nine-game win streak and look forward to next weekend, when they face the University of Michigan. 

“Two weekends under our belt,” Pond said. “The first weekend jitters are gone, second weekend, already feeling a little bit, so definitely going to be hitting the training room for some recovery. I’m just super excited, and we have Michigan next.”