Sun Devils drop Big 12 opener in extras to Utah

TEMPE — Last season, No. 21 Arizona State’s weekend matchup against Utah marked its first-ever weekend sweep as a member of the Big 12. With a historical 50-24 record against the Utes, ASU opened Big 12 play against them Friday night with an opportunity to start off conference play on the right foot.

While senior pitcher Aissa Silva delivered five strong innings in the circle, allowing two runs, the Sun Devils only put up two runs of their own, as the 2-2 tie would remain after the seventh inning. With junior righty Meika Lauppe replacing Silva heading into extra innings, her usually reliable presence in the circle was flipped on its head in the worst way.

After loading the bases before even recording an out, a short mound visit from ASU coach Megan Bartlett was an attempt to calm the veteran. Instead of turning to another pitcher in the bullpen, Bartlett elected to keep Lauppe in the circle. The decision did not play out as planned, as Utah (19-5, 1-0 Big 12) scored seven runs in the eighth inning, putting the game out of reach for the Sun Devils (19-4, 0-1 Big 12), who fell 9-5 in their Big 12 opener.

“Momentum is a dangerous thing in the sport of softball, especially pitching. and ours certainly got away from us.” Bartlett said.

The Sun Devils struggled defensively, making five errors overall in the field. Only two of Utah’s runs were earned, a clear sign that defensive mistakes played a major role in the impact of the game. Cleaning up those errors will be essential if the Sun Devils want to stay competitive in conference play the rest of the season.

While several of ASU’s nonconference games against lesser opponents were close down the stretch, it cannot afford as many of those scenarios against conference foes. With their offense failing to capitalize on early opportunities, leaving eight runners on base over the course of the game, the Sun Devils relied too heavily on their pitching staff.

“Aissa battled,” Bartlett said. “She handed it off to the closer Meika, and you know, closing is a tough job for these girls, especially with the conference pressure.”

Offensively, there were still a few active bats for ASU. Junior first baseman Katie Chester got the Sun Devils on the board with a solo home run in the second inning, while Brooklyn Ulrich added an RBI single to help the Sun Devils build an early 2-0 lead in the second inning.

It wasn’t enough, though, as Utah’s barrage of runs off Lauppe created a gap far too wide for ASU to recover. The Sun Devils displayed their offensive ability during their non-conference slate, averaging 8.05 runs per game, the 13th-most in the country. However, their lack of situational hitting became their demise in their conference-opening loss.

Looking ahead, the Sun Devils will face Utah two more times over the next two days at Alberta B. Farrington Softball Stadium in Tempe, as the teams continue their opening Big 12 series.

“Tough way to open a conference,” Bartlett said. “I’m expecting a better response and a different team tomorrow.”