TEMPE – Day two of the Littlewood Classic was a bit of a rollercoaster for Sun Devil softball as they were on both ends of a run-rule shutout. Arizona State had few answers in a 9-0 loss to No. 21 Virginia Tech to start the day before coming back to down Illinois State 8-0 in the nightcap.
Kelsey Hall and Shannon Cunningham were the only Sun Devils to get a hit in both games of the day.
No. 21 Virginia Tech 9, Arizona State 0
Arizona State dropped the first game of Friday night's double-header against Virginia Tech 9-0. Cunningham and Hall claimed the Sun Devils' two hits of the game, and the team finished 1-for-7 with runners on base.
Virginia Tech scored four runs in the first innings and never looked back. The Hokies totaled 11 hits and hit a pair of home runs.
How it Happened
Arizona State (4-3) bounced back in shutout fashion with a run-rule win against Illinois State, 8-0. Libby Walsh and Sara Kinch each homered, and Alesia Denby recorded a two-hit game to help the Sun Devils build on their lead.
Kylee Magee picked up the win in the circle after allowing one hit over three shutout innings with four strikeouts. Mac Osborne worked two perfect innings to secure ASU's first shutout of the season.
How it Happened
Notables
ASU will close out the Littlewood Classic with another doubleheader against Memphis and Cal State Fullerton on Saturday. The first pitch against the Tigers is slated to start at approximately 4:00 p.m. MST. Coverage can be seen on ASU Live Stream and the Sun Devil Softball social media platforms all weekend long.
Quotes
Arizona State Head Coach Megan Bartlett:
On what changed between game 1 and game 2
"If you can't disrupt our kids' timing, we're pretty good. Our direction was good, and we came up with a couple of big hits. We jumped on them early, took the momentum, and just never gave it back."
On defensive plays changing the complexion of a game
"They just take the wind out of the opposing team's sails. As much as they pump us up, I think what it does more is deflate the opposition. What a beautiful catch by Yaya (Acuna)."
Sun Devil infielder Alesia Denby
On transitioning from the first game's result to the second game:
"I think it was just a restart, to regroup and kind of find what we can do better as a team collectively. So I think coming out the gate and making sure we're scoring runs for our pitchers was our main thing."
On if hitting is contagious for the team
"Yeah, I would for sure say that hitting is contagious and the passing-the-bat mentality is kind of something that we talk about. Whether that's your bunting or just moving the runner over, I think that's what we do pretty well as a whole right now. As we keep that energy going in the dugout, I think that is what keeps us on top after seeing the low point of no runs in the first game and bursting out in the second game."
Sun Devil infielder Libby Walsh
On her first career NCAA home run
"It felt really good to square up a ball, and I just saw it fly off the bat, and I got really excited."
On playing with a strong infield core
"I feed off of Lele (Denby) and seeing the plays that she makes. She's a fifth-year, and as a freshman, just seeing that, I wanna copy her. So I feel comfortable being able to make those plays or going all out on defense."
Kelsey Hall and Shannon Cunningham were the only Sun Devils to get a hit in both games of the day.
No. 21 Virginia Tech 9, Arizona State 0
Arizona State dropped the first game of Friday night's double-header against Virginia Tech 9-0. Cunningham and Hall claimed the Sun Devils' two hits of the game, and the team finished 1-for-7 with runners on base.
Virginia Tech scored four runs in the first innings and never looked back. The Hokies totaled 11 hits and hit a pair of home runs.
How it Happened
- Virginia Tech opened the first inning with five hits and four runs.
- The Hokies added to their lead at the top of the second with a solo home run to center field, bringing the score to 5-0.
- The Sun Devils collected their first hit of the game in the bottom of the second with a single off the wall in left by Cunningham.
- The Hokies got their second homer of the day in the third inning with a shot to centerfield to make it 6-0.
- In the fourth inning, the Hokies notched in three more runs to extend the lead to 9-0.
Arizona State (4-3) bounced back in shutout fashion with a run-rule win against Illinois State, 8-0. Libby Walsh and Sara Kinch each homered, and Alesia Denby recorded a two-hit game to help the Sun Devils build on their lead.
Kylee Magee picked up the win in the circle after allowing one hit over three shutout innings with four strikeouts. Mac Osborne worked two perfect innings to secure ASU's first shutout of the season.
How it Happened
- Magee worked around a single and a walk in the first by recording three strikeouts.
- Singles from Tanya Windle and Denby and two Illinois State errors led to the first run of the game for ASU in the bottom of the first.
- Cunningham's single later in the frame brought home another run to extend ASU's lead in the first to 2-0.
- In the bottom of the second, Libby Walsh homered to center giving the Sun Devils a 3-0 lead.
- Sara Kinch hit her second home run in three games in the bottom of the third inning, tacking on 2 runs to make it 5-0.
- Yannixa Acuna made a diving catch in left field to end the Redbirds' fourth and preserve a 1-2-3 inning for Osborne.
- Audrey LeClair logged a single to help bring home another Sun Devil to increase the lead to 6-0 in the fourth.
- Denby then doubled to deep right field, allowing two runners to advance to home plate to make it 8-0.
- Osborne forced three ground balls in the top of the fifth to end the night.
KISS THAT BALL GOODBYE! First career home run for @libbywalsh2023 ??
— Sun Devil Softball (@ASUSoftball) February 17, 2024
ASU 3 | ISU 0 pic.twitter.com/hxIJM8KbeX
Notables
- Walsh's second-inning home run was the first of her career.
- The home run by Kinch gives her two on the season and surpasses her total from all of 2023.
- Denby's single in the first inning against Illinois State was the 150th hit of her career.
- Magee earned her first win of the season against the Redbirds.
ASU will close out the Littlewood Classic with another doubleheader against Memphis and Cal State Fullerton on Saturday. The first pitch against the Tigers is slated to start at approximately 4:00 p.m. MST. Coverage can be seen on ASU Live Stream and the Sun Devil Softball social media platforms all weekend long.
Quotes
Arizona State Head Coach Megan Bartlett:
On what changed between game 1 and game 2
"If you can't disrupt our kids' timing, we're pretty good. Our direction was good, and we came up with a couple of big hits. We jumped on them early, took the momentum, and just never gave it back."
On defensive plays changing the complexion of a game
"They just take the wind out of the opposing team's sails. As much as they pump us up, I think what it does more is deflate the opposition. What a beautiful catch by Yaya (Acuna)."
Cleared for takeoff ??@yannixaacuna with a huge diving catch to end the top of the 4th.
— Sun Devil Softball (@ASUSoftball) February 17, 2024
ASU 5 | ISU 0 pic.twitter.com/KhXj1d7SAk
Sun Devil infielder Alesia Denby
On transitioning from the first game's result to the second game:
"I think it was just a restart, to regroup and kind of find what we can do better as a team collectively. So I think coming out the gate and making sure we're scoring runs for our pitchers was our main thing."
On if hitting is contagious for the team
"Yeah, I would for sure say that hitting is contagious and the passing-the-bat mentality is kind of something that we talk about. Whether that's your bunting or just moving the runner over, I think that's what we do pretty well as a whole right now. As we keep that energy going in the dugout, I think that is what keeps us on top after seeing the low point of no runs in the first game and bursting out in the second game."
Sun Devil infielder Libby Walsh
On her first career NCAA home run
"It felt really good to square up a ball, and I just saw it fly off the bat, and I got really excited."
On playing with a strong infield core
"I feed off of Lele (Denby) and seeing the plays that she makes. She's a fifth-year, and as a freshman, just seeing that, I wanna copy her. So I feel comfortable being able to make those plays or going all out on defense."