Arizona State (8-5) opened up the 2025 Sun Devils Classic by splitting its Friday doubleheader with a 9-1 loss to No. 3 Florida (15-1) and an 8-1 win over California Baptist (5-9).
Through just 13 games this season, ASU has matched up against four ranked opponents. Friday’s loss to Florida stands as the Sun Devils’ first loss to a ranked opponent this year, but after the defeat, head coach Megan Bartlett believed her team could still take away some positives.
“The first thing they have to do is believe,” Bartlett said. “I think that was created today, a sense of belief.”
Before its second game against California Baptist, ASU flipped a switch. The Sun Devils scored eight runs, highlighted by a 2-run home run from graduate student designated player Kelsey Hall.
Yet, game one proved to be all Gators. Graduate student shortstop Rylee Holtorf started the scoring in the top of the second with a sacrifice fly. After that, the Gators never looked back.
Florida added another run in the second and one more in the third. To lead off the fourth, sophomore second basemen Mia Williams drilled a homer over the left-center wall to make the score 4-0.
Standout freshman right fielder Taylor Shumaker continued the scoring in the fourth with an RBI single. Shumaker leads the country with 28 RBIs this season.
The Sun Devils got on the board in the bottom of the sixth with an RBI double from freshman right fielder Ashleigh Mejia.
However, Florida blew the game open in the top of the seventh. In the frame, seven Gators reached base and four came home to extend their lead to eight. Freshman outfielder Kayla Lamar stepped up with a pinch-hit two-run double to make it 9-1.
As a staff, Florida’s pitching dominated the Sun Devils. Gator sophomore pitcher Keagan Rothrock turned in an unconventional complete game, as she allowed just five hits and one earned run while striking out five batters.
ASU made sure to make game two play out much differently. Sophomore pitcher Meika Lauppe got the start in the circle and was lights out.
After giving up two hits in the first inning, Lauppe sat down ten straight Lancers. She struck out two batters through four innings.
“My teammates totally had my back,” Lauppe said. “They made every play they needed too, I mean there was no errors so that was awesome.”
In the bottom of the third, Hall smoked a two-run homer over the center field wall to give the Sun Devils a 2-0 lead. Hall went three for five in the doubleheader with two walks. She also tallied two RBIs and came across to score two runs.
“It was really nice to be able to step up for my team,” Hall said. “I am personally trying to value quality at-bats and quality in my process, so sometimes it does not always show up in the results but this game it got to.”
After a Sun Devil pitching change in the top of the fifth, the Lancers got a run on the board. Senior center fielder Sydney Soto scored on a wild pitch after reaching base on an infield single.
The Maroon and Gold exploded in the bottom of the sixth, driving in six runs. Sophomore left fielder Nehanda Lewis started a slew of singles that turned into a massive frame for the home squad. Arizona State ripped off eight straight singles to blow the game open and pull away with a seven-run lead.
Senior left-handed pitcher Kenzie Brown retired the Lancers in order in the top of the seventh to close out the 8-1 Sun Devil victory.
Arizona State will host Portland State (3-9) on Saturday in the third game of the Sun Devil Classic. The first pitch is scheduled for 4 p.m. MST.
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