TEMPE - A Tale of Two Days for Sun Devil Softball
Arizona State's Sun Devil Softball team experienced the highs and lows of the game during their weekend stint at the Sun Devil Classic. After a commanding 9-1 victory over New Mexico State on Saturday, the tables turned on Sunday as the Aggies edged out a 6-5 win, wrapping up the three-day tournament on a bittersweet note for the hosts.
The Sun Devils started strong on Sunday, matching New Mexico State's three-run opening frame with three of their own. However, the Aggies pulled ahead with two more runs in the second inning.
Faith Aragon, New Mexico State's pitcher, proved to be a formidable opponent. She locked down Arizona State's offense, allowing only two baserunners over the next three innings-a walk to Kaylee Pond and a hit by pitch to Samantha Swan.
New Mexico State extended their lead with a solo home run at the top of the sixth. Arizona State managed to claw back a run in the bottom of the inning, courtesy of a fielding error that allowed Yannixa Acuña to score. Heading into the seventh, the Sun Devils were down by two but had a golden opportunity with Tiare Ho-Ching and Tanya Windle in scoring position and no outs.
Ho-Ching narrowed the deficit to one, scoring on Emily Schepp's sacrifice fly. However, the rally fell short as Katie Chester struck out, and a crucial challenge on Ashleigh Mejia's attempt to beat a throw to first was unsuccessful, leaving Windle stranded and sealing the game for New Mexico State.
Insights from Head Coach Megan Bartlett
Reflecting on the game, Head Coach Megan Bartlett acknowledged the challenges faced: "We dug ourselves a little bit of a hole. Faith Aragon is a very good pitcher, and we didn’t adjust quickly enough at the plate. Keeping things simple and focusing on our approach will be key moving forward."
Looking Ahead
With their non-conference home tournaments behind them, Arizona State (13-3) turns their attention to the ASU Invitational. The Sun Devils will host a lineup of teams including UC Riverside, EIU, UNLV, Wisconsin, Cal Baptist, and CSU Bakersfield.
The action kicks off against UC Riverside on Thursday, Feb. 26, at 6:00 p.m. MST.
The Sun Devils will be eager to bounce back and showcase their resilience on home turf.