After being on the receiving end of a 6-1 thrashing on Friday, Arizona State (22-10, 4-4 Big 12) entered Saturday afternoon looking to level the series against in-state rival No. 10 Arizona (29-4, 6-2 Big 12).
However, not much changed for Sparky in the second act between the familiar foes. The Wildcats dominated ASU at Farrington Stadium for the second straight night, ultimately cruising to a 5-1 victory to secure the three-game series and pick up their seventh straight win.
Similar to Friday’s loss, ASU struggled offensively throughout the game. The Sun Devils only managed to record five hits compared to Arizona’s nine.
“We kept reaching it to the top, hit through the spin and we didn’t make the adjustments,” ASU head coach Megan Bartlett said on the team’s hitting performance. “Some of that is our youth rearing its ugly head. They’re young, and they’ll fight every time they roll out here. They may not be perfect, but they learn and continue to scrap.”
For the visitors, senior right-handed pitcher Devyn Netz shined as a two-way player in the Wildcat victory, recording three RBIs, one home run and five strikeouts. Arizona wasted no time getting on the board with a single from Netz bringing home junior outfielder Dakota Kennedy.
The Devils found some momentum in the bottom of the second inning, starting with freshman infielder Tiare Ho-Ching’s single to record the Sun Devils’ first hit of the game. Moments later, junior outfielder Yannixa Acuña’s single allowed Ho-Ching to advance to third base. But the Maroon and Gold couldn’t capitalize, as a strikeout by senior utility AJ Murphy ended the inning.
Arizona took advantage of ASU’s missed opportunity. The Wildcats put two more runs on the board following the second inning. They recorded another two hits in the third frame, led by a single from Kennedy and followed by another single from junior utility player Kaiah Atlmeyer. The latter of which allowed two runners to score and put Arizona up by three runs.
Sophomore catcher Samantha Swan got a much-needed hit for the Sun Devils in the fifth inning as she doubled deep into left field. It was the first hit for the Maroon and Gold since the second inning, but once again, the Wildcats held the hosts scoreless.
The dagger came in the sixth inning when Netz completed her impressive performance with a 2-run home run to give Arizona a 5-0 lead. For the first time this season, sophomore right-handed pitcher Meika Lauppe gave up five runs in the circle for the Sun Devils, as Netz recorded her 10th home run of the season.
Still, after the game, Bartlett admired how her starter battled against a potent lineup.
“I thought Meika threw a really good game,” Bartlett said on Lauppe’s performance. “That’s one of the best offenses in the country.
“I’m really proud of her. The amount of growth that kid has had is remarkable.”
A late rally by the Sun Devils saw Swan record her second double of the night and tally one run on the scoresheet. Yet, it proved to be too late as Arizona closed out the win.
The Sun Devils will play the Wildcats in the series finale tomorrow at Farrington Stadium, with first pitch scheduled for 1 p.m. PST.
“They need to show me the guts,” Bartlett said on tomorrow’s game. “Farrington is gonna be packed again, so I expect them to show up ready for the fight.”
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