(Photo credit: Madison Sorenson/WCSN)
TEMPE – Down by four runs in the bottom of the seventh inning, graduate outfielder Kelsey Hall filled the fans at Farrington Stadium with hope through just one swing of the bat. Two runners were on for Hall, who battled through the first five pitches of the at-bat, before finding what she was looking for. What Hall was looking for was the ball flying over the left field wall, for a three-run home run, cutting the lead to only one.
Although Hall’s home run didn’t change the result of the game, the Arizona State softball team (16-7, 1-1 Big 12) had its offense wake up late in a 6-5 loss against the BYU Cougars (15-5, 1-1 Big 12), in the second game of the series Friday night.
“I found myself competing from behind and hit a ground ball to the right side,” Hall said. “I’m just trying to simplify it and not make the moment bigger than it was.”
Before the home run by Hall, ASU’s offense struggled to produce. The Sun Devils tallied five hits through the opening five frames, however, each came in its own individual inning. BYU’s sophomore right-hander Kate Dahle did an excellent job of producing outs for her defense, despite only striking out three ASU batters.
“Dahle did a nice job. She kept us off balance,” Sun Devils head coach Megan Bartlett said. “We asked them to have their best at-bats at the end of the game because that’s when you’re going to win.”
ASU had a lifeline handed to them when Dahle gave up a single to freshman infielder Takyla Davis in the fifth inning, which was Dahle’s final batter faced. The Sun Devils didn’t muster anymore in the fifth frame but produced chaos without Dahle in the 6th.
A lead-off walk for freshman catcher Lillian Holtje, who was pinch-run for by freshman infielder Grace Molitor, was followed up by a single from freshman outfielder Ashleigh Mejia. Once Mejia reached, chaos fully broke out to help out ASU’s offense. Two wild pitches from junior right-hander Kaysen Korth and an error from the Cougars’ defense led to Davis and Molitor both scoring.
Although the Sun Devils’ offense took five innings to wake up, the pitching delivered throughout the game. Sophomore right-hander Meika Lauppe had a bumpy first inning, giving up two runs, but followed it up with three solid innings of one-run ball. Lauppe was pulled after the third inning but returned to the game in the seventh inning, and got out of a bases-loaded jam.
“You’re certainly not feeling fresh at that point, you’ve been spectating for three innings,” Bartlett said. “For her to come into a tough spot, slam the door and get out of it, was good to see. She’s certainly capable of that.”
Freshman right-hander Julianne Tipton was also solid in the circle, starting with three scoreless frames, before giving up three in the seventh. Both Lauppe and Tipton showed flashes of the great displays they showed earlier in the season, following a few rough outings for both underclassmen pitchers.
The rubber game of the series will be Saturday afternoon with ASU looking to notch its second win in conference play, and also Bartlett’s 200th win as an NCAA softball head coach.
“We need to come out at the beginning and be aggressive and set the tone,” Hall said. “All seven innings we need to win the inning.”
