TEMPE – After pitching a complete game and striking out 14 batters the night before, senior pitcher Kenzie Brown returned to the circle in the 6th inning to play the role of the closer.
It was a contest where Brown was looking to rebound.
Despite her high strikeout count against the Indiana Hoosiers, she allowed six earned runs, nearly costing her team.
Her response?
Brown sat down six consecutive batters and notched three strikeouts, continuing to show the college softball world the dominant pitcher she’s blossomed into.
“Even first-team All-Americans have an off night once in a while,” ASU coach Megan Bartlett said. “That kid’s incredible. So what you saw tonight is 99% of the time what we get out of her. So she’s going to keep getting the ball in big moments.”
Her final strikeout sealed a 7-6 win for Arizona State (7-1) over Nevada (4-3) on Friday night in the second day of the Littlewood Invitational at Alberta B. Farrington Stadium. The Sun Devils rode a big day from freshman utility player JazMarie Roberts at the plate and costly errors by the Wolfpack defense to climb out of a 4-0 hole — the biggest deficit they’ve faced so far in the young season.
The evening started sour for ASU, as Nevada’s offense jumped on the Sun Devils’ starter, junior righty Meika Lauppe. The Wolfpack drew lots of hard contact, causing Lauppe to depart after only two innings.
But it didn’t take long for the Sun Devils to respond. After a Roberts single, following senior outfielder Kaylee Pond being hit by a pitch, junior catcher Samantha Swan took center stage, lifting a ball over the wall in left field to cut the deficit to one.
The hero we didn't know we needed 🥹#ForksUp /// @samswan26325464 https://t.co/sRYeF6gukB pic.twitter.com/Ut20ZkiL95
— Sun Devil Softball (@ASUSoftball) February 14, 2026
“When she’s not trying to do too much at the plate, she can leave the yard,” Bartlett said.
After the offense struggled in the first week of the season, ASU’s bats have found their rhythm, scoring 25 in its first three games of the Littlewood Invitational.
“The offense works really hard,” Brown said. “Day in, day out, they just grind. So I knew that they were capable of it, and it’s just really great to see them come through.”
One of the players whose hard work paid off was Roberts, as she tallied three hits to pair with two RBIs.
She also served as one of the Maroon and Gold’s clutch players on the night, with both of her run-scoring hits coming with RISP. Roberts had a game-tying RBI double in the third inning and the game-winning single in the fifth inning, capping off an impressive game for the freshman.
“Just focusing on keeping it simple, passing the bat and putting us in that game,” Roberts said.
Furthermore, the Sun Devil offense is creating more offense early in innings, allowing them to put pressure on opposing pitchers with the threat they pose on the basepaths.
“They know if they get a lead-off runner on, we are really dangerous,” Bartlett said. “We know how to move runners. We know how to drive in runners.”
It’s now the second straight game, and the third time in the last four games, ASU has had to crawl its way back into the game to pull out a victory.
But as sophomore outfielder Ashleigh Mejia says, “Devils don’t quit.”
Lately, the Devils have certainly shown no quit, finding ways to win close contests and extending their win streak to six, with their only loss of the season coming to then-No. 3 Oklahoma.
ASU will look to finish undefeated in an early-season tournament for the second straight week, taking on Portland State tomorrow, Feb 14, before finishing with two games against Pacific to round out the Littlewood Invitational.
For now, the Sun Devils will enjoy the night with one of their most chaotic wins of the young season.
“That’s a testament to the offense,” Brown said. “They’re producing right now, which is great, but it’s a full team. We’re just excited to put all the pieces together.”
Leave a Reply