TEMPE – Sun Devil softball broke out the bats in a big way on Friday, picking up a pair of victories at the ASU Invitational. Arizona State erupted for a 15-0 run-rule win over UC San Diego to start its day before overcoming an early deficit for a 5-2 victory over James Madison in the nightcap.
The Sun Devils moved to 13-6 on the season with the two wins and they enter the final day of the weekend classic, having won eight of their last 10 games.
Game 1: Arizona State 15, UC San Diego 0 (5 innings)
Leading 1-0 entering the bottom of the third, ASU scored nine times in the inning to blow the game open. Kelsey Hall ignited the offense with a two-run homer to center field – her first as a Sun Devil – for a 3-0 lead. After Kayla Lissy singled in a run, Jordyn VanHook added a two-run double in front of a two-run single by Libby Walsh. ASU would cap the inning with RBIs from Yannixa Acuña and Tanya Windle.
The fourth inning began with a bang as Samantha Swan and Ayden Allen homered on consecutive pitches – the first two pitches of the inning – as pinch hitters. ASU added another run on an error, and then Acuña delivered a two-run double to complete the scoring.
Acuña had three hits in the win to give her consecutive games with three hits. Hall, Lissy, VanHook, and Walsh all tallied two hits in the game as the team totaled season-highs for runs and hits. It was the first game this season in which the Sun Devils hit three home runs.
Mac Osborne took advantage of the offensive outburst to earn her seventh win of the season in the circle. She tossed three hitless innings with four strikeouts. Meika Lauppe worked two scoreless innings to complete the team's third shutout of the season.
Game 2: Arizona State 5, James Madison 2
The nightcap turned into a pitcher's duel, with each team only scoring in one inning. James Madison would strike first when Payton List followed an ASU error with a two-run home run to right-center in the top of the second inning for a 2-0 advantage.
The Sun Devils struggled at the plate with one hit through three innings, but things changed in the fourth.VanHook opened the inning with a single to center and came around to score when Lissy hit her first home run of the season two pitches later.
Shannon Cunningham followed with a single, and two batters later, Walsh tripled to the wall in right to put ASU in front 3-2. Acuña then walked and on the wild ball four advanced to second while Walsh scored. After stealing third, Acuña scored on the third wild pitch of the innings by JMU.
Deborah Jones earned the win in the circle by holding James Madison to two unearned runs on four hits with five strikeouts in four innings. She stranded a pair of runners in scoring position in the third and paired with Sara Kinch for the strikeout-caught stealing double play to end the fourth.
Osborne worked two perfect innings in the fifth and sixth but got into a bit of trouble with a walk and hit by pitch in the seventh. Kylee Magee entered and walked the first batter she faced by three straight strikeouts to leave the bases loaded and close out her first career save.
VanHook went 3-for-3 in the second game to account for half of the team's six hits.
NOTABLES
Arizona State Assistant Coach Hailey Decker
On what does it mean to get these two wins
"I think you just said it best, momentum, right? We want to come off a good weekend before competing against a very lethal Washington club. For us to focus on ourselves, play Sun Devil softball, and come out with two wins is a good feeling."
On putting Kylee Magee in at the end
"We want to use the entirety of our staff. All pitchers have different strengths, weaknesses and potentials. We continue to preach to them, "help each other, be supportive of each other," and that's what we did as a staff tonight."
On Deborah Jones' performance
"Deb threw great tonight. She attacked the zone early, missed one pitch that got cranked and what pitcher doesn't go through that? It was very mature of her to come back, get some big outs later, and get through four innings. It was a great showing from her today."
Arizona State designated player Jordyn VanHook
On what was working for her tonight
"I was just staying simple. It has been hard starting the season with an injury and then slowly working my way back, but I was just staying simple, just trying to put the bat on the ball."
On the Sun Devils' potential after beating James Madison
"We're an excellent team. Our offense, defense, and pitching all around is terrific. Once we finally come together and work one through the lineup, it will be tough to beat us. Today was a good start, and moving forward, it will also be really beneficial."
Arizona State infielder Kayla Lissy
On what this win means for the team heading into conference play
"I feel like we've been coming around on offense, and we trust our process and swings. I mean, one through nine in the lineup, and even bench players, we all can hit. We just have so much confidence in each other right now, so it's going really well."
The Sun Devils moved to 13-6 on the season with the two wins and they enter the final day of the weekend classic, having won eight of their last 10 games.
Game 1: Arizona State 15, UC San Diego 0 (5 innings)
Leading 1-0 entering the bottom of the third, ASU scored nine times in the inning to blow the game open. Kelsey Hall ignited the offense with a two-run homer to center field – her first as a Sun Devil – for a 3-0 lead. After Kayla Lissy singled in a run, Jordyn VanHook added a two-run double in front of a two-run single by Libby Walsh. ASU would cap the inning with RBIs from Yannixa Acuña and Tanya Windle.
The fourth inning began with a bang as Samantha Swan and Ayden Allen homered on consecutive pitches – the first two pitches of the inning – as pinch hitters. ASU added another run on an error, and then Acuña delivered a two-run double to complete the scoring.
Acuña had three hits in the win to give her consecutive games with three hits. Hall, Lissy, VanHook, and Walsh all tallied two hits in the game as the team totaled season-highs for runs and hits. It was the first game this season in which the Sun Devils hit three home runs.
Mac Osborne took advantage of the offensive outburst to earn her seventh win of the season in the circle. She tossed three hitless innings with four strikeouts. Meika Lauppe worked two scoreless innings to complete the team's third shutout of the season.
Game 2: Arizona State 5, James Madison 2
The nightcap turned into a pitcher's duel, with each team only scoring in one inning. James Madison would strike first when Payton List followed an ASU error with a two-run home run to right-center in the top of the second inning for a 2-0 advantage.
The Sun Devils struggled at the plate with one hit through three innings, but things changed in the fourth.VanHook opened the inning with a single to center and came around to score when Lissy hit her first home run of the season two pitches later.
Shannon Cunningham followed with a single, and two batters later, Walsh tripled to the wall in right to put ASU in front 3-2. Acuña then walked and on the wild ball four advanced to second while Walsh scored. After stealing third, Acuña scored on the third wild pitch of the innings by JMU.
Deborah Jones earned the win in the circle by holding James Madison to two unearned runs on four hits with five strikeouts in four innings. She stranded a pair of runners in scoring position in the third and paired with Sara Kinch for the strikeout-caught stealing double play to end the fourth.
Osborne worked two perfect innings in the fifth and sixth but got into a bit of trouble with a walk and hit by pitch in the seventh. Kylee Magee entered and walked the first batter she faced by three straight strikeouts to leave the bases loaded and close out her first career save.
VanHook went 3-for-3 in the second game to account for half of the team's six hits.
NOTABLES
- Swan's pinch-hit home run in the fourth inning against UC San Diego was her third straight pinch-hit a-bat ending with a homer.
- Allen's home run was the first of her career and the first time ASU has gone back-to-back this season.
- VanHook finished the two games 5-for-5 and has reached base safely in her past eight plate appearances.
- ASU's run of consecutive games with a double ended at 14 after not hitting a double against JMU. It was the longest streak since an 18-game run during the 2021 season.
- The triple from Walsh was the 10th of the season for the Sun Devils. That is the most since the 2018 squad had 13 and only the fourth time since 1999 the team has reached double digits.
- The Sun Devils had three innings with 5-plus runs on Friday after having just three such innings all season to start the day.
Arizona State Assistant Coach Hailey Decker
On what does it mean to get these two wins
"I think you just said it best, momentum, right? We want to come off a good weekend before competing against a very lethal Washington club. For us to focus on ourselves, play Sun Devil softball, and come out with two wins is a good feeling."
On putting Kylee Magee in at the end
"We want to use the entirety of our staff. All pitchers have different strengths, weaknesses and potentials. We continue to preach to them, "help each other, be supportive of each other," and that's what we did as a staff tonight."
On Deborah Jones' performance
"Deb threw great tonight. She attacked the zone early, missed one pitch that got cranked and what pitcher doesn't go through that? It was very mature of her to come back, get some big outs later, and get through four innings. It was a great showing from her today."
Arizona State designated player Jordyn VanHook
On what was working for her tonight
"I was just staying simple. It has been hard starting the season with an injury and then slowly working my way back, but I was just staying simple, just trying to put the bat on the ball."
On the Sun Devils' potential after beating James Madison
"We're an excellent team. Our offense, defense, and pitching all around is terrific. Once we finally come together and work one through the lineup, it will be tough to beat us. Today was a good start, and moving forward, it will also be really beneficial."
Arizona State infielder Kayla Lissy
On what this win means for the team heading into conference play
"I feel like we've been coming around on offense, and we trust our process and swings. I mean, one through nine in the lineup, and even bench players, we all can hit. We just have so much confidence in each other right now, so it's going really well."