ASU pitchers stepped up when needed in Saturday doubleheader

(Photo credit: Zina Garcia/WCSN)

TEMPE — Arizona State softball’s circle came up big when needed in Saturday’s doubleheader, however, their performance was not matched by the defense.

ASU (6-3) defeated the Washington Huskies (4-5) 4-1 and suffered a tough 5-1 extra innings loss to the Belmont Bruins (5-4).

In the fifth inning against Washington, senior right-hander Kenzie Brown found herself in a jam with one out. A wild pitch let Washington runners advance to second and third base. Despite sending a ball past sophomore catcher Samantha Swan, Brown was able to keep her control and sit down the next two Huskie batters by way of the strikeout.

Brown faced her first batter of the game in the fourth inning and gave up a double into the right-center gap to Huskies’s utility first baseman Charity Sevaaetasi. An early team mound visit seemed to have helped Brown settle in as she earned three outs in a row, including another two strikeouts.

Brown ended her night with four innings pitched and only three allowed hits. She stayed disciplined with no allowed runs, zero walks and seven strikeouts.

Sophomore right-hander Meika Lauppe had a busy night after ASU head coach Megan Bartlett put her in the circle to start both games.

In Lauppe’s first inning Saturday, she struck out Sevaaetasi looking with a runner in scoring position. Washington hit .182 (2-for-11) with runners on base and went 0-for-7 with runners in scoring position. Those numbers heavily contrast the Huskies’ leadoff stats, as they hit .429 with their first batters. Lauppe ended her game against Washington with one earned run and four hits in three full innings pitched. Similar to Brown, Lauppe stayed in the zone, not walking a single Husky and throwing for three strikeouts.

In the fourth inning against Belmont, Lauppe got a visit from Sun Devil Pitching Coach Jeremy Manley. The moment came as Lauppe had two runners on in a scoreless game. Manley’s strategy seemed to work, as Lauppe forced a dribbler toward freshman infielder Takyla Davis. The ground out ended the inning and kept the game tied.

Next inning, Lauppe flashed her glove work, fielding a ground ball and throwing to first base. The snag let a Bruin runner advance to third, but once again, Lauppe kept the ball in the infield and held Belmont off the board.

Lauppe continued in the circle and surprisingly walked back out to start extras while the teams were knotted up at one. A sacrifice bunt moved the Belmont ghost runner to third base, which was the beginning of the end for the Sun Devil defense.

A routine grounder turned disastrous as the throw escaped freshman first baseman Lillian Holtje. The error gave the Bruins a 2-1 lead. A double down the third baseline from Belmont junior infielder Nicole Hughes gave the Bruins another unearned run.

Freshman right-hander Julianne Tipton finally came in to end Lauppe’s night. However, after three more errors by the infield and two more unearned runs, ASU found itself in a 5-1 hole.

Between the two games on Saturday, Lauppe faced 42 batters and threw for 10.1 innings pitched, while only allowing nine hits and four runs — of which only two were earned. She walked one batter and recorded six strikeouts.

“Meika has been fantastic,” ASU Defensive Coordinator Hailey Decker said. “I’ve really enjoyed watching her play and really come into her own. Unfortunately, we didn’t quite have the defense or the bats behind her.”