ASU rides fifth inning rally to shocking 15-7 win

(Photo credit: Elizabeth Agazaryan/WCSN)

TEMPE — Arizona State softball gave the fans at Farrington Stadium something to celebrate with an incredible comeback win Friday night.

The Sun Devils (2-0) faced off against the Miami (OH) RedHawks (0-2) in their second game of the Kajikawa Classic. The RedHawks lit up freshman right-handed pitcher Julianne Tipton and got out to a quick 5-0 lead in the second inning. However, the RedHawks’ momentum was stopped by ASU graduate third baseman AJ Murphy, whose offensive power helped spark the Sun Devils’ 15-7 victory.

In Thursday’s opener, Murphy recorded her first RBI of the year. In her 2024 season with San Diego State, she was second on the team in home runs and ended with 19 RBIs. Murphy climbed the offensive stat sheet for the Sun Devils Friday after a solo home run to right-center in the second inning. She did not end her night there, sending an absolute missile to left field in the third inning for three more RBIs. The team came out of the dugout to celebrate with their new power hitter. In response, Murphy gave a simple shoulder shrug as she started to round second base.

Murphy credited Hitting Coach Josh Bloomer for her power-hitting development:

“He’s great with preparation. … All the preparation we did in the fall helped,” Murphy said. “Just the air in Arizona, ball seems to fly.”

The two homers cut the RedHawks lead to just one. The Sun Devils later found themselves down 7-5 with just nine outs to spare. Little did they know, they would need only two of them.

Murphy got the party started with a simple walk. A single from sophomore infielder Nehanda Lewis and a walk from freshman pinch-hitter Lillian Holtje quickly loaded the bases. Freshman second baseman Tiare Ho-Ching, who had four RBIs Thursday night, grounded to short. With Murphy’s speed at third, Ho-Ching reached first safely on a fielder’s choice, and Murphy got to the plate as an unearned run on a throwing error.

The defensive collapse for Miami University was just getting started, as junior center fielder Tanya Windle drove in the tying run after another error by RedHawks shortstop Kaylee Oh. As Lewis reached home safely, there finally seemed to be some life from the Sun Devil crowd.

The fans at Farrington kept up their energy as ASU freshman left fielder Ashleigh Mejia worked a walk on a full count with the bases loaded. Miami seemed to have lost track of the pitches because as freshman infielder Grace Molitor (who pinch ran for Holtje) started to walk in from third base, the RedHawks tried to make a play at the plate. A throwing error allowed Ho-Ching to get across home and give ASU its first lead of the night, up 9-7.

“I love to watch Tiare run bases,” head coach Megan Bartlett said. “She is well trained. She’s got great instincts on the bases, really good vision, and she’s going to use her wheels and create chaos.”

Graduate outfielder Kelsey Hall, who still has not been cleared to field this season, did not let her injury stop her from going yard for the first time this year. The three-run homer put the Sun Devils up by five.

ASU managed to get around the batting order without recording a single out in the fifth. After an RBI single from Lewis and two force outs at home, Windle stepped up to the plate for the second time in the inning. Windle took advantage of a 2-1 hitter’s count and ripped the ball to left center. As the ball went into the gap, the dugout cleared and freshman infielder Takyla Davis crossed home for the walk-off mercy win.

The Sun Devils still have three games remaining in this year’s Kajikawa Classic, including a doubleheader Saturday against Miami University and Minnesota. Already in this young season, ASU has shown it has the ability to fight back and dig itself out of holes.

“They don’t quit, we don’t quit,” Bartlett said. “We’re not counting ourselves out in any game. The more they feel confident and they feel empowered, and they know the game is always in their control, that group is going to be really, really dangerous.”