(Photo via Julia Coyne/WCSN)
TEMPE — Arizona State softball found itself one step closer to closing out its fall ball slate with an undefeated record following a 16-0 shutout of Phoenix College on Thursday night.
The Sun Devils immediately set the tone for their performance against the NJCAA powerhouse when graduate shortstop Alesia Denby smoked a solo home run to deep right field in the second at-bat of the bottom of the first inning. From then on, ASU stayed hot with 19 total hits, notching at least one run in every inning excluding the second.
“I think we hit really well tonight,” head coach Megan Bartlett said postgame. “It’s interesting that we had 19 hits and 16 runs, but we didn’t have eight jacks. We had doubles, triples, and great baserunning. I’m so thrilled about that, and I think (assistant coach Jimmy) Kolaitis is doing a great job with the hitters.”
A base hit by Denby in the bottom of the third inning sparked a five-RBI rally that kept the offense humming along for the rest of the ballgame. The infielder would also notch a leadoff triple the next half inning to leave her just a double shy of hitting for the cycle.
However, it was the Sun Devils’ youth that shined the brightest on the offensive side of the ball. Sophomore outfielder Tanya Windle managed an RBI double in both the fifth and sixth innings, and sophomore second baseman Ayden Allen went 3-for-4, including a base hit in the bottom of the third to bring Denby home.
The youngsters also showed off their tenacious baserunning ability, highlighted by freshman Samantha Swan capitalizing on a bad read in the outfield to hustle her way to an inside-the-park home run at the start of the bottom of the sixth.
“I really love this group of kids,” Bartlett said. “They play the game the right way and they hustle. I think the great atmosphere they promote in and out of the clubhouse reflects what you see out on the field.”
Sophomore outfielder Yannixa Acuna’s 4-for-4 performance at the plate paled in comparison to her defensive highlight reel. Her incredible diving catch to record an out for the first at-bat of the game, alongside a laser throwout to second base to prevent a Phoenix College double, were crucial in keeping the Bears scoreless.
Ultimately though, the defensive excellence was spearheaded by the dominance on the mound. Freshman right-handed pitcher Meika Lauppe got the nod to start and struck out five of the 11 batters she faced through three innings of work.
“I love that we were finally able to give Meika a start, and even though she was a bit nervous at first, she settled in and started cruising,” Bartlett said. “She’s going to be an important player as she becomes a veteran.”
Sophomore right-hander Kylee Magee relieved Lauppe at the top of the fourth and did more with the same sample size by posting six strikeouts against 10 batters in three frames.
The Sun Devils then relied on graduate righty Marissa Schuld to close out the game. She retired six straight batters in the seventh and extended eighth innings, which came with four strikeouts of her own.
Bartlett had nothing but high praise for the two relievers following the game: “Kylee Magee was absolutely outstanding, and so was Marissa Schuld. Their gift is their wonderful (velocity), and the more they work on their changeup, the more difficult it will be for the opposing hitters. I’m really proud of them.”
Arizona State travels to Grand Canyon University on Wednesday for its final fall matchup before the team’s Maroon & Gold Scrimmage. The game will be a rematch of a narrow 5-4 victory for the Sun Devils back on Oct. 4. Just as she had done before, Bartlett paid great respect to the challenge the Division I program presented.
“They are a top 40 ballclub,” Bartlett said. “They’ve got eight seniors, and they’ve got some really great arms. I think that if we can manage some doubles and attack the zone at the plate, we’ve got a shot. In my mind, it always comes down to who can minimize the mistakes.”
