Sun Devil offense struggles to capitalize on opportunities versus Arizona

(Photo credit: Madison Sorenson/WCSN)

TEMPE — The Arizona State softball offense could not build off the momentum from the crowd at Club Farrington on Saturday.

The Sun Devils (22-10, 4-4 Big 12) lost this year’s Territorial Cup series to the Arizona Wildcats (29-4, 6-2 Big 12) after a 5-1 loss in game two. A sold-out Farrington Stadium did not see much production from the ASU bats.

Junior outfielder Tanya Windle led off the first inning with a ground out to Arizona graduate first baseman Miranda Stoddard. The Wildcats’ redshirt senior pitcher Devyn Netz got the best of freshman outfielder Ashleigh Mejia after getting her to miss at strike three. A pop-up to the left side of the infield from graduate outfielder Kelsey Hall sent the Sun Devils packing 1-2-3 without getting a ball out of the infield.

Even when the Sun Devils seemed to start seeing some positives with their bats, they could not convert when it mattered. To start the second inning, freshman infielder Tiare Ho-Ching ripped a single down the left field line. Junior outfielder Yannixa Acuña sent the next ball the opposite way, allowing Ho-Ching to get to third.

With runners on the corners and only one out, sophomore catcher Samantha Swan got under a pitch and popped out behind home plate. With good situational awareness, Acuña took off for second base and got there safely off the tag up. Despite having two runners in scoring position, ASU could not execute, as senior infielder AJ Murphy struck out swinging to end the inning.

Later in the fifth inning, Swan doubled deep down the left field line and got into scoring position with no outs. After two quick pop-ups, Windle grounded out to Stoddard, the third time she grounded out to first base in three at-bats.

The Wildcats weren’t perfect either. In the fourth inning, junior infielder Ayden Allen sent a ball sky-high into shallow right field. Arizona junior right fielder Kaiah Altmeyer called off her infielders and stood waiting for the ball to come down. When it did, it bounced out of her glove and onto the ground. Although Allen initially slowed down at first base, she picked up her speed and got another bag off the error.

Acuña could not capitalize on Arizona’s mistake, flying out to center field and ending the inning in the next at-bat.

Head coach Megan Bartlett tried to change up her offensive strategy in the seventh inning as she stared down a 5-0 deficit. Freshman catcher Lillian Holtje led off after pinch-hitting for Allen. Unfortunately, luck was not on Holtje’s side as she put a missile into left field right into the glove of Wildcats junior outfielder Dakota Kennedy.

“Lilly actually hit a beautiful ball,” Bartlett said. “Lilly did what we wanted her to do. You can’t control exactly where you hit it sadly.”

Bartlett did not stop with the substitutions there, as sophomore outfielder Nehanda Lewis came in for Acuña in the next at-bat. Although Lewis’s at-bat had a similar result to Holtje’s, Swan later got her second double of the game to keep the Sun Devils alive. Freshman infielder Grace Molitor pinch-ran for additional speed on the basepaths, and she was able to get across as Murphy knocked her in.

Murphy managed to get to second base after an overthrow into home, and sophomore infielder Maddie Okano stepped in as the second pinch runner of the inning. Okano used her speed and advanced to third on a wild pitch. However, her efforts could not help ASU any further as freshman infielder Takyla Davis struck out to end the game.

The Sun Devils hit .185 and went 2-for-10 with runners on. What hurt them the most was going 1-for-7 (.143) with runners in scoring position. Netz threw a complete game with five strikeouts and no walks. With her dominating in the circle today, the Sun Devils will only have a tougher test tomorrow.

“Arizona has got eight arms, five that they use pretty regularly,” Bartlett said. “I expect to see a lot of pitch-by-committee tomorrow. The minute we get comfortable, we’re expecting them to switch into the next pitcher. The girls are just gonna have to think on their toes.”