This article was originally published on March 1, 2023.
The #22 Arizona State Sun Devils (15-4) were blown out by the rival #17 Arizona Wildcats (16-6). The Sun Devils made four errors in the game and were unable to get anything going offensively.
Junior pitcher Mac Osborne started for the Sun Devils and got into some trouble in the first inning, struggling with her control. After loading the bases with one out and one run in, she managed to get out of it not allowing anything else.
In each of the second, third, and fourth innings, the Wildcats put an unearned run on the board.
Two errors by junior shortstop Kayla Lissy allowed for the first two.
“We’re just waiting for them to settle down,” ASU coach Megan Bartlett said. “We’ve got some moving parts. Lissy hasn’t played in a year. She’s coming off of ACL rehab. She’s just getting her feet back under and we’re gonna have to be patient through that process.”
The unearned run in the fourth inning was after Osborne had been replaced by sophomore pitcher Kenzie Brown.
Arizona junior third baseman Blaise Biringer doubled down the right field line to knock Osborne out of the game.
Each of Brown’s first two pitches got past junior catcher Sara Kinch. Biringer came around the bases on the passed balls.
The Wildcats scored one run in each of the first five innings. After a scoreless sixth, they poured it on with four in the top of the seventh to shut the door.
With the bases loaded, Wildcats sophomore right fielder Paige Dimler poked a two-RBI double into the left-center field gap. Graduate student center fielder Yanni Acuña fumbled the ball when picking it up, allowing an extra run to score and for Dimler to advance to third. She was driven in by the next batter, freshman Dakota Kennedy, who pinch hit for freshman left fielder Tayler Biehl.
Arizona junior pitcher Devyn Netz dominated the Sun Devil offense. She threw a complete game shutout in the Wildcats victory.
Netz struck out six Sun Devils and induced ten ground ball outs. There was very little hard contact from any Sun Devil hitter.
Bartlett called Netz “one of the top five pitchers in the country.”
The Sun Devils started to get something going in the top of the third, but Netz quickly got out of a jam by getting graduate student third baseman Alexa Milius to ground into a fielders choice and striking out senior second baseman Jazmyn Rollin.
That was the only real scoring opportunity ASU had all night.
“She throws a very good drop ball,” Coach Bartlett said. “She throws her rise at two levels and she can mix in a changeup. She had us guessing, she kept us off balance.”
Senior first baseman Jordyn VanHook had two hits. Yanni Acuña and Kayla Lissy each accounted for the other two Sun Devil hits.
“They did their job, they put some pressure on us,” Bartlett said. “I think we kinda of showed our inexperience tonight.”
This was the first of a three game series against the Wildcats for the Sun Devils. They’ll look to bounce back on Saturday.
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