Sun Devils survive GCU to stay undefeated in fall season

(Photo via Julia Coyne/WCSN)

TEMPE — Having already played a junior college team and a Division II squad, Arizona State softball prepared to face its first Division I opponent of the fall season Wednesday night.

Despite the increased challenge, the Sun Devils defeated Grand Canyon University 5-4 in a nail-biting walk-off victory after a long period of back-and-forth play. After victories against Embry-Riddle and Central Arizona last week, the Sun Devils are 3-0 this fall following their win over the Lopes.

“It was pretty much the same [preparation],” senior infielder Kayla Lissy said. “Hitting was a little bit different. We added in more offspeed pitches because we knew they were coming in with more changeups.”

In the previous meeting between the two sides last season, GCU prevailed 3-2 in the crosstown duel. Since then, 11 newcomers have joined the Sun Devils, including four true freshmen and seven transfers. With the newcomers, the Sun Devils were able to remedy their mistakes from last season’s matchup and pick up the win.

However, it was the second-year Sun Devil, junior right-handed pitcher Kenzie Brown, who set the tone in the circle. She struck out the side in the opening frame to fire up her team right away. But after a couple errors and walks in the second inning, Brown found herself in a jam. However, the junior would escape the jam with ease, getting the next three batters out and striking out GCU junior infielder Lovey Kepa’a to close the inning.

“It was a nice taste for the pitchers today,” assistant coach Jeremy Manley said. “Just coming up and preparing for something a little different”

The Sun Devils rode Brown’s momentum into the bottom half of the inning. Senior catcher Sara Kinch –who was coming off a two-home run game against Embry-Riddle – smashed a ball to right field for a home run to give the Sun Devils a 2-0 lead early in the second inning against GCU’s starter graduate righty Ariel Thompson.

That advantage didn’t stand for long, as the Lopes in the top of the third woke up and started to respond. Graduate first baseman Kristin Fifield hit a ball off the wall in left field to score one run and reduce the margin in half following a walk to freshman utility player Savannah Groshong-Kirk and a stolen base.

The Lopes weren’t finished there. In the fourth inning, after a leadoff hit-by-pitch, junior catcher Alexis Soto sent a Brown’s pitch over the center field wall, going deep to give the Lopes the 3-2 lead.

This time it was ASU’s turn to respond. A leadoff double by Lissy in the bottom frame gave ASU a second chance to tie the game. Sophomore utility player Shannon Cunnigham helped her team regain the lead by mirroring Sotos’ deep shot from the top half and launched a two-run homer of her own to put the Sun Devils ahead 4-3.

“Honestly I think of (playing GCU) the same,” Lissy said. “You kind of want to play every team the same, whether they’re a lower level college, [Division II] or a [Division I]. You want to hand it to them the same exact way you would anyone else.”

After GCU scored another run in the fifth, the two teams entered the bottom of the seventh inning tied 4-4, giving ASU the chance to steal the win.

With two outs and a chance to score, sophomore infielder Ayden Allen stepped up to the plate, hoping to keep ASU’s undefeated fall alive. Allen, a transfer from Houston, lined a ball to center field for a hit. The runner came around to score, and the Sun Devils won the game in walk-off fashion.

Standing out in Wednesday night’s performance was the defense and timely pitching. The Sun Devils managed to pitch themselves out of sticky situations and the supporting players produced standout plays like Lissy’s full extension catch in foul territory to conclude the top of the fifth inning.

“Yeah GCU is an outstanding program,” Manley said. “They beat UCLA in the regionals last year, so yeah they’re no joke. Happy for the girls. Great victory tonight.”