An opening inning that saw Arizona State (9-5) score eight runs proved to be enough for the Sun Devils to overcome an early 3-0 deficit and claim their ninth win of the season in a 10-3 victory over Portland State (3-10).
Freshman catcher Lillian Holtje shined in ASU’s second win of the 2025 Sun Devil Classic. She hit her third home run of the season in the fourth inning and tallied three hits and one RBI.
The Maroon and Gold entered the game following a two-game split to No. 3 Florida and California Baptist. Sophomore right-handed pitcher Meika Lauppe started in the circle Saturday afternoon after holding her opponents scoreless in her last nine innings pitched.
But that streak came quickly to an end after Portland State’s blazing start. Back-to-back throwing errors allowed an unearned run to score for the Vikings. The visitors added to their first-inning lead when sophomore infielder Lorraine Alo singled to center field, allowing two runners to score and putting Portland State up 3-0.
“I told the team, ‘You better start hitting the ball if you’re going to give up that many runs,’” ASU head coach Megan Bartlett said. “They’re young, we keep doing things that scream 18-year-olds. Eventually, they will be well-seasoned sophomores, so we just got to catch and throw.”
Bartlett’s message seemed to resonate with her squad, as the Sun Devils responded emphatically in the bottom half of the inning. It started with a 2-run home run by graduate outfielder Kelsey Hall, which cut the lead to one.
An error at second base tied the game and loaded the bases. Sophomore catcher Samantha Swan walked in the following at-bat to add to ASU’s lead before sophomore infielder Nahanda Lewis came home to score another run on a wild pitch. The Sun Devils scored two more unearned runs to end 8-run first inning.
“The reality is we have a lot of freshmen on the field,” Bartlett said. “We need to continue to hold the standard high and make sure they feel the most undercontrolled in any given moment.”
Lauppe’s night ended after two innings following a 50-pitch, three-run and two-hit performance. Freshman right-hander Julianne Tipton replaced the sophomore for one inning before senior right-handed pitcher Kenzie Brown entered in relief for the fourth inning onwards.
Brown orchestrated an impressive night on the hill, as she pitched four scoreless frames and conceded no hits for the first time this season.
After two scoreless innings from both sides, ASU added to its lead on Holtje’s third home run of the season–a shot over the left-field wall. The Sun Devils recorded an additional run in the following inning on a single from freshman infielder Tiare Ho-Ching.
“The benefit that she [Holtje] has is she’s so strong,” Bartlett said on the freshman’s impressive afternoon. “The kid spent so much time in the weight room before she even came to Tempe, to a point where she chose not to go to in-person high school classes because it took away too much time from her lifting.”
“I joke that she’s been a pro baller since 16-years-old,” she said. “She’s one of those kids that loves being a ballplayer, this is what she lives for. It makes me super happy for her and for the club.”
Brown proceeded to pitch two more strikeouts to keep the Vikings at bay and ensure ASU’s 10-3 victory in the seventh inning.
Arizona State returns for its final game of the 2025 Sun Devil Classic on Sunday morning against New Mexico State. The first pitch is scheduled for 11:30 a.m. MST.
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