Sun Devils Split on Day Two of SDSU Kickoff Classic

SAN DIEGO – Opening weekend of the softball season continued on Friday with the 22nd-ranked Sun Devils splitting two games at the SDSU Kickoff Classic. Arizona State (3-1) rallied to defeat Northern Illinois 4-3 to start the day before falling 7-1 to Notre Dame this evening.

ARIZONA STATE 4, NORTHERN ILLINOIS 3
Yanni Acuna homered to start the game and then doubled in the winning run as the Sun Devils came from behind for the second time this season to walkoff the Huskies (1-1). Four of the team's five hits went for extra bases. Marissa Schuld secured her second win in the circle in relief of Kylee Magee.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Acuna hit her second home run of the season leading off the bottom of the first inning.
• Jazmine Hill doubled two batters later and scored on a single from Jazmyn Rollin for the early 2-0 lead.
• Northern Illinois scored an unearned run in the top of the third and two more runs in the fifth to take a 3-2 lead.
• The Huskies retired 16 of 18 Sun Devil hitters following the Rollin RBI single through the first out of the seventh inning.
• Jordyn VanHook snapped the dry spell with a home run to left center that tied the game at 3-3 in the bottom of the seventh.
• Shannon Cunningham reached on a strikeout wild pitch and advanced to second on a sacrifice from Savannah Price.
• Acuna then doubled to right center to score Cunningham with the winning run.
• Schuld allowed one hit over 2.2 innings with two strikeouts in earning the win.
• Magee took a no decision after allowing three runs (one earned) on four hits with five strikeouts in 4.1 innings.

Seventh inning comeback ??????#ForksUp /// #O2V pic.twitter.com/brqKpAcExn

— Sun Devil Softball (@ASUSoftball) February 11, 2023

NOTRE DAME 7, ARIZONA STATE 1
Two big innings from the Fighting Irish (1-0) and a lack of timely hitting proved costly in the ASU's first loss of the season. The Sun Devils finished 0 for 9 with runners in scoring position while leaving 11 runners on base. Notre Dame used a four-run second inning to take momentum and they seemed to put the game away with three runs in the fourth inning.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Arizona State failed to score in the top of the first despite having three hitters reach base.
• Notre Dame took the lead on a 2-out bases loaded single that included a throwing error for a 3-0 lead.
• A wild pitch to the ensuing batter allowed the fourth run to score.
• Rollin got the Sun Devils on the board with a solo home run to open the fourth inning.
• ASU loaded the bases later in the inning, but was unable to cut any further into the deficit.
• Notre Dame struck again in the bottom of that inning with three more runs that all came after the first two hitters in the inning were retired.
• The Sun Devils would strand runners in scoring position in the final three innings.
• Deborah Jones worked the final 2.1 innings in the circle allowing one hit and zero runs in her Sun Devil debut.

We missed @JazzyRollin 's bat flips ??#ForksUp /// #O2V pic.twitter.com/MhAck9AbAG

— Sun Devil Softball (@ASUSoftball) February 11, 2023

NOTABLE

• Acuna had two-hits in both games to give her 36 multi-hit games in her career. She also extended her hitting streak to 12 games dating back to last season.
• The home run by VanHook against NIU marked the second time in her career she had homered in back-to-back games. The previous occurrence was on March 7-8, 2020.
• VanHook notched her first career multi-hit game with two singles against the Fighting Irish.
• Schuld won her 10th straight decision by getting the win over NIU.
• Rollin had two hits against Notre Dame for her second multi-hit game this season and 28th of her career.

UP NEXT
The weekend in San Diego comes to a close against Memphis on Saturday at 10 a.m. MST.