Sun Devils Rally Through Defensive Challenges, End Fall with Big Win Over Pima

(Photo: Aiden Longbrake/ WCSN)

TEMPE — The sun was shining on the Alberta B Farrington Softball Stadium on Tuesday, and so were the Sun Devils. Even with some of their best defensive players out, Arizona State beat Pima College 15-5 in their last fall game before the Maroon and Gold scrimmage. With the win, the Sun Devils finish fall ball with a record of 6-1.

The game started fast for Pima, and it gave the Sun Devils a little shock. Sophomore infielder Clarissa Figueroa got the Aztecs going with a leadoff single. Following that, Sophomore infielder Jiselle Nunez hit a two-run home run off senior pitcher Aissa Silva to put Pima up 2-0.

After a quiet second inning for both teams, the Sun Devils exploded at the plate. Sophomore outfielder Ashleigh Mejia hit a three-run RBI triple, which cut the lead and got the team fired up. Right after that, catcher Emily Schepp hit a two-run home run, scoring herself and Mejia. Just like that, ASU had the lead, and it only went up from there.

The middle innings were quiet, but the fifth inning gave the Sun Devils another boost. Senior outfielder Kaylee Pond hit a solo home run, and it showed that ASU’s offense was starting to click at the plate.

The sixth started with Pima having runners in scoring position, but they could not get anything across. ASU managed to score one with freshman utl Corie Shull’s RBI single to continue building their lead.

The seventh inning brought even more excitement to the contest. Pima failed to score in the top of the 7th, but ASU kept the bats going. Freshman catcher Avery Motroni hit a solo home run, and soon after, Senior utl Sydney Saenz hit a grand slam that made the score 14-4. That inning really showed the team’s energy and how they can make big plays even with some of their defense injured.

Pima tried to come back in the eighth inning with RBI singles from freshman infielder Jiselle Nunez and Izabel Rodriguez, but fell short. With a runner on second, Mejia hit an RBI double to increase the score 15-5 for the Sun Devils.

“Even with the big win, ASU still has some players hurt,” Coach Megan Bartlett said, “Tiare, our shortstop, is out right now. Takyla Davis, our third baseman, is also out, unfortunately. And Katie Chester, our first baseman, is currently on the IL. That’s always the challenge with college athletics.”

With several ASU defensive players on the injured list, the team had to adjust its lineup and rely on new replacements on the field. Despite the changes, the Sun Devils managed to stay competitive and keep the energy up throughout the game. The offense found ways to produce, but a few defensive mistakes showed where more work is needed before regular-season play starts back up in February.

“The good news is we still have a few months until February 5, so they’ll have time to get back on the field. We’ve got a solid pitching staff, but we’ll need to figure out how to piece things together defensively until everyone’s healthy again.”