(Photo via Sammy Nute/WCSN)
TEMPE — The Arizona State softball team headed into the opening matchup of the 2024 Littlewood Classic, hoping to make a statement. With a tough weekend slate approaching, there was no better time to set the tone than going up against the undefeated BYU Cougars.
Fifth-year right-handed pitcher Marissa Schuld took the mound for her first start of the season and was looking for a repeat performance of her strong relief outing against Boise State. However, those dreams were quickly dashed when she hit two batters, gave up three hits, and allowed the Cougars to take a 2-0 lead all in the top of the first.
Another notable name making her first appearance of the season was fifth-year designated player Jordyn VanHook, who sat out the Kajikawa Classic due to an ankle injury. Though her bat laid silent throughout the game, the return of her presence in the dugout heavily boosted team morale.
“She is a big part of the leadership core and our lifeblood,” head coach Megan Bartlett said. “I’m so happy to have her back.”
Just as quickly as it got down, Arizona State responded with pressure of its own in the next half inning, as a double by fifth-year shortstop Alesia Denby and two walks loaded the bases.
Senior catcher Sara Kinch then stepped up to the plate, and after taking two balls, smoked the next pitch over the right field wall to give the Sun Devils the lead on a grand slam.
“Sara’s grand slam was such a big deal,” Bartlett said. “We stole the momentum and never gave it back.”
BYU proved they wouldn’t go quietly in the top of the second inning. After forcing two quick outs, Schuld plunked another Cougar batter, which resulted in a two-run blast by senior Violet Zavodnik to tie things up at four.
Once again, ASU stepped into the batter’s box and picked up the slack the very next half inning. Freshman second baseman Libby Walsh drew a walk in the first at-bat, and after a bunt from sophomore outfielder Yannixa Acuña moved her over to second, sophomore right fielder Tanya Widdle drove her in on an RBI single. Then, fifth-year center fielder Kelsey Hall did the exact same to put the Sun Devils ahead 6-4.
Arizona State never looked back after that moment and put up four more runs throughout the next five innings. Windle took centerstage by notching two more hits following her RBI single in the bottom of the second inning.
“I was the most confident player on that field in my head,” Windle said. “I knew what I was capable of in those moments.”
Walsh notched her first career hit and RBI in the bottom of the third, while Hall tacked on another RBI single in the fourth.
The play on the mound, on the other hand, didn’t improve until Schuld was lifted in the top of the third inning after surrendering a home run to sophomore Hailey Morrow. Senior right-handed pitcher Mac Osborne came in for her third relief appearance of the season and gave her team five innings of dominant play.
A critical moment in the contest emerged when Osborne gave up three straight hits to start the top of the sixth inning with ASU up 8-5. The senior pitcher regained her composure before forcing a double play and groundout to surrender only one earned run.
Her excellence in the clutch paid off when Alesia Denby hit a skyscraping two-run home run to left center field in the bottom of the sixth to ultimately seal the 10-6 win for the Sun Devils.
The team is hoping their offensive explosion tonight will help set them up for success when they take on No. 16 Virginia Tech on Friday afternoon.
“They looked like a completely different group of hitters than they did a week ago,” Bartlett said. “Now they’ve set the expectation. We know how they’re capable of playing.”
