(Photo via Reece Andrews/WCSN)
On Thursday, Arizona State Softball opened its season with a doubleheader against CSUN and San Diego State in the SDSU Season Kickoff. After needing an extra inning to top the Matadors 6-3, ASU turned its attention towards the hosts to try to open its season with back-to-back wins.
The Aztecs were also coming off a hard-fought battle against the Matadors that took them into an extra frame.
Despite needing some time to settle into their groove in their matchup with CSUN (0-2), ASU (2-0) wasted no time getting on the board, scoring often and early to win 8-2 over SDSU (1-1).
For the Aztecs, junior right-handed pitcher Allie Light started the game and struggled from the beginning, giving up two walks at the top of the first inning. Despite her struggles, she managed to not give up any runs. On the other hand, ASU junior right-handed pitcher Mac Osborne started off hot, going two straight innings without allowing a hit.
The top of the second inning is when ASU scored its first runs of the game. Senior infielder Jordan VanHook scored first thanks to a hard-hit ball by graduate catcher Gianna Boccagno that forced a fielder’s choice. Two batters later, graduate outfielder Yannira Acuña hit a two-run homer, followed by a solo shot from junior outfielder Emily Cazares.
Following the Sun Devils’ offensive explosion in the second inning, the Aztecs opted to have senior right-handed pitcher Sarah Lehman start the third inning.
That didn’t stop the Sun Devils, as they scored two runs at the top of the third inning off a double by freshman utility player Shannon Cunningham that allowed senior infielder Jazmyn Rollin and graduate outfielder Makenna Harper to score. Cunningham went for third base and was ruled out. In the bottom of the third, Osborne made her first mistake by giving up three walks and a single. No runs were scored, however, and ASU carried a 6-0 lead going into the fourth inning.
Lehman’s pitching in the top of the fourth inning forced the Sun Devils to go their first frame without getting a runner on base. In the bottom of the fourth, the Aztecs scored their first run due to a single by junior infielder Alexis Otero that allowed sophomore catcher Cali Decker to score.
Two of the first three batters for the Sun Devils in the fifth inning, Rollin and VanHook, hit solo home runs to increase ASU’s lead to 8-1. In the bottom of the fifth, the Aztecs scored their last run of the game on a sacrifice fly hit by junior infielder Jillian Celis, resulting in sophomore outfielder Bella Espinoza scoring SDSU’s second run. Once again, the Aztecs made a change in the circle, turning to sophomore lefty Dee Dee Hernandez to start the sixth inning.
Neither team scored the rest of the game, with pitchers on both sides combining for three straight three-and-out half innings. The final frame saw ASU graduate right-handed pitcher face four batters.
With ASU holding on for the win, Megan Bartlett starts her Sun Devil career with two straight wins. Bartlett and the Sun Devils will look to extend that streak to five straight as they finish up their time in San Diego with games against Northern Illinois, Notre Dame and Memphis.
