(Photo: Aiden Longbrake/WCSN)
TEMPE — No. 23 Arizona State coach Megan Bartlett patiently waited for success. To get it took time, risks and finding a formula to use. Bartlett built up her own system, beginning with a strong coaching staff, relying on young freshman classes and looking for diamonds in the rough in the portal.
In 2025, her third season at the helm, the time gamble of a new system paid off when the Sun Devils clinched a spot in the 2025 NCAA Tournament. 19 games into 2026, and the Sun Devils have stayed hot, winning in a multitude of ways with top-level upperclassmen from the portal.
In a game against Cal State Bakersfield (2-18) where neither team could find success in the box, ASU’s (19-3) 2-1 victory was largely due to clutch play from veterans in their first season on the team. While beginning March in the win column, Bartlett also went undefeated in the ASU Invitational for the first time in her three-year tenure as the team’s manager.
“I did not even notice, honestly,” Bartlett said with a chuckle. “Preseason is such a barrage in softball; you play so many games in the first four weeks. It was certainly nice to go 6-0 and I am proud of the girls.”
One of the transfers who played a major role in ASU’s win was senior left-handed pitcher Aissa Silva, who had her best game uniforming the maroon and gold all season. In 6.2 innings in the circle, Silva allowed just one run on five hits, striking out seven batters while walking a pair en route to her eighth win of the season.
The Arizona transfer held CSU Bakersfield scoreless for six innings, the first time holding a zero on the scoreboard for that long since Feb. 21, 2025, as well as the first time eclipsing six innings since the 2024 season.
“For me, it is like going all out and doing everything that I can,” Silva said. “I am out there to pitch and out there to do whatever I can do for the team. So just going out there with that mindset.”
In the top of the seventh inning, though, Silva began to fade. After mustering up just two hits and one walk through six innings, she allowed three hits and surrendered a walk.
With the bases loaded and two outs, Bartlett signaled for junior right-handed pitcher Meika Lauppe to close the door and end the comeback attempt.
“I always want to finish as much as I possibly can,” Silva said. “But, I am glad to have Meika come in and get the save and just utilize our pitching staff.”
ASU’s offense struggled Saturday afternoon, with three of its five hits and both runs batted in stemming from newcomers. Senior outfielder and Cal transfer Kaylee Pond hit a two-out RBI single in the bottom of the third to score the first run of the game.
An inning later, senior infielder and Marshall transfer Brooklyn Ulrich singled to left to extend the Sun Devils’ lead.
“I’ll be honest, I was a little bit frustrated when I did not get that bunt down,” Ulrich said. “So I had to take a second and step out of the box and reset. Then, Bloomer was talking to me and saying to stay through the ball and continue your barrel through the zone and that is exactly what I did.”
Entering the afternoon, the Roadrunners averaged 8.31 runs allowed per game, while the Sun Devils averaged 8.33 runs per game and scored 10.4 runs per game during the ASU invitational beforehand. ASU’s pair of runs marked the second-lowest amount in a single game this season, after only mustering up a single run against then-No. 3 Oklahoma on Feb. 5.
Multiple Sun Devils hitters chased outside the zone, seeming to struggle with CSU Bakersfield freshman right-handed pitcher Cedes Saldana’s offspeed pitches.
ASU adopted an approach to win two out of the three key aspects of the game. Despite the struggles at the plate, the defense behind Silva made multiple plays en route to an error-free performance.
In the first inning, ASU sophomore infielder Tiare Ho-Ching made a running play to her left before making the underhand flip to record the game’s second out. In the fifth frame, Silva hustled towards the right side batters box, catching a pop-up that hit the ground and tagging the runner out.
“Aissa had our backs,” Ulrich said. “ I always believe we have to have at least two out of three aspects of the game. Today (Saturday), our defense really brought it, and so did Aissa and then Meika coming in for that last batter.”
Playing six games in four days can wear a team down, but the Sun Devils were able to rely on their depth in their final weekend ahead of conference play. ASU will begin a three-game set against the Utah Utes at Alberta B. Farrington Stadium beginning Friday, March 6, at 6:00 p.m. MST.
“I am so excited,” Ulrich said. “I mean, we have already played a third of our games, and now it is going to slow down to where we can really focus on defenders, hitters and catchers.”
