(Photo: Bianca Acosta/WCSN)
TEMPE — As Arizona State turned to senior pitcher Kenzie Brown in the circle Sunday afternoon at Alberta B. Farrington Stadium, it turned into a repeat pitching duel from Friday’s match once No. 22 UCF rolled out sophomore pitcher Isabella Vega in the circle Looking for a steady performance from Brown to take the win in the series against the Knights, Sunday felt like a must-win game for the Sun Devils, who were in danger of losing a third straight conference series.
ASU leaned on standout performances from junior catcher Samantha Swan and Brown in the circle, but a familiar issue resurfaced as the rest of the roster couldn’t provide consistent support.
Despite a dominant effort at the plate by Swan, the Sun Devils couldn’t hold off UCF, falling 4-3, dropping a third consecutive weekend in Big 12 play. The result marked another missed opportunity for the Sun Devils as conference play intensifies.
As a result, this drops ASU’s record to 5-10 in the Big 12, matching its loss total from last year’s 14-10 conference record. Despite finishing fifth in the conference last season while returning a large portion of 2025’s production, the Sun Devils have struggled to keep up with the talent of surrounding teams.
“You know, we made some defensive mistakes we couldn’t overcome early in the game and it bit us late,” head coach Megan Bartlett said. So we just got to come back and be better. It’s all we can do at this point.”
Swan led ASU offensively, building off of her 3-for-3 performance the day before and carrying that momentum into Sunday with another dominant showing at the plate. After a quiet start from the lineup, Swan got the Sun Devils on the board in the fourth inning with a two-run homer that brought much-needed energy to the team. Swan came through again in the sixth inning with a solo shot, accounting for all three of the Sun Devils’ runs on the board.
Swan’s performance showed reliability in pivotal moments, but the rest of the lineup struggled to build on what she started. ASU had trouble putting together hits and generating pressure over multiple innings, limiting their ability to fully take advantage of the momentum she created.
No other Sun Devil even registered a hit, as the only two baserunners of the entire game came off walks from senior outfielder Kaylee Pond and senior shortstop Brooklyn Ulrich.
“It’s wonderful Sammy’s going off,” Bartlett said. “The reality is we can’t have one kid going off in a lineup right now. We’ve just got to continue to keep it simple and shoot gaps.”
Vega maintained control for UCF despite Swan’s two home runs, denying the rest of ASU’s offense. The Sun Devils were unable to create many scoring chances outside of those two swings, making it difficult to tie the game.
Brown had a tough start in the circle, which set the tone in the first inning, walking multiple batters while allowing UCF to load the bases and take a 1-0 lead. The second frame followed a similar pattern with more walks and timely hitting extending the deficit to 4-0.
Those early innings forced ASU to play from behind for the rest of the game, putting pressure on both sides of the ball while leaving little room for error.
Brown improved as the game went on and settled into a better rhythm, limiting further damage while giving ASU’s offense a chance to get back in the game. However, the four early runs from UCF still stood as the difference by the end.
Bartlett expressed confidence in Brown despite her early struggles, emphasizing trust in her ability to compete and lead the pitching staff. Following the loss, she pointed to her consistency, effort, and role as a leader in the circle despite the early struggles.
“What we know about Kenzie is she’s going to roll out and give us everything she has every single day, truly, and we have to defend behind her,” Bartlett said.
The loss once again highlighted a bigger issue for the Sun Devils: a lack of consistency across the roster. Swan continues to be a strong presence at the plate, and Brown plays an important role in the pitching staff, but the team will need more help from the rest of its players if it wants to stay competitive in conference play.
ASU now turns its focus to its next game against Grand Canyon University, looking to rest and reset in non-conference play. If the Sun Devils want to turn close losses into wins, they will need stronger starts and more consistent contributions throughout the lineup before heading back into conference play against Houston.
“Certainly, two teams that are pretty familiar with each other,” Bartlett said. “We’re gonna have to execute on defense, and when we get opportunities to drive the ball at the plate, we are gonna have to do it.”
