TEMPE – Sun Devil Softball finished the Sun Devil Classic with a 5-1 victory against New Mexico State on Sunday at Farrington Stadium. It was the third straight win for ASU, which is the longest win streak for the Sun Devils this season.
All five runs ASU scored in the win came courtesy of the home run. Ashleigh Mejia brought the excitement early with a rocket to left center that gave Arizona State a 3-0 lead in the first inning.
The Sun Devils threatened to build on their lead with runners on the corners in the second but could not bring any home. New Mexico State got on the board in the third courtesy of an RBI single from Desirae Spearman.
With its lead cut to two and three straight scoreless frames at the plate, ASU leaned into the long ball once again in the fifth. AJ Murphy opened the inning with a solo homer to cap an eight-pitch at-bat in which she fouled off five consecutive pitches. Two batters later, Kelsey Hall connected on her third home run in as many games for the final run of the contest.
While the offense was driving the ball over the wall, the pitching duo of Meika Lauppe and Kenzie Brown were dominating the NMSU offense. Lauppe allowed just one run during her three innings. Brown then worked the final four innings – retiring the first 10 batters she faced – without allowing a run while striking out six to move to 4-1 on the season.
Notable
Head Coach Megan Bartlett
On the main takeaways from today's win:
"I thought Kenzie and Meika did a beautiful job today. When their rhythm would get off a pitch or two, or we give up a hit, they would just dial it right back in and went right at the next batter. Same with the defense. They just kind of scrapped it, went to the next play, and kept their cool. So if we can find some element of consistency with how young we are, we're going to be a tough ball club."
On being undefeated on Sundays:
"Big time, especially as we move into Big 12 play. You're playing three-game sets with people on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. So the fact that we can get up early, come out strong after a long weekend and find a way to win ball games should pay dividends."
Senior shortstop AJ Murphy
On the offense finding its rhythm moving forward:
"I think it's good rolling into next weekend and then into conference play. Building on that, and just trusting our plans, and trusting our abilities, and using that to do some things in conference."
Freshman right fielder Ashleigh Mejia
On starting the scoring for ASU:
"Just wanting to win, wanting to get a job done. That's something that I value a lot in my first year being here, and that's something we're taught. Just having grit and attacking what we're hunting. That's what kind of got the momentum going, and that's my whole process up to bat, what I was thinking."
Up Next
The final full weekend of non-conference play comes next, with the ASU Invitational next weekend at Farrington Stadium. The Sun Devils will play six games during the four-day event, beginning on Thursday with the first of two games against Oregon State.
All five runs ASU scored in the win came courtesy of the home run. Ashleigh Mejia brought the excitement early with a rocket to left center that gave Arizona State a 3-0 lead in the first inning.
The Sun Devils threatened to build on their lead with runners on the corners in the second but could not bring any home. New Mexico State got on the board in the third courtesy of an RBI single from Desirae Spearman.
With its lead cut to two and three straight scoreless frames at the plate, ASU leaned into the long ball once again in the fifth. AJ Murphy opened the inning with a solo homer to cap an eight-pitch at-bat in which she fouled off five consecutive pitches. Two batters later, Kelsey Hall connected on her third home run in as many games for the final run of the contest.
While the offense was driving the ball over the wall, the pitching duo of Meika Lauppe and Kenzie Brown were dominating the NMSU offense. Lauppe allowed just one run during her three innings. Brown then worked the final four innings – retiring the first 10 batters she faced – without allowing a run while striking out six to move to 4-1 on the season.
Notable
- The home run from Ashleigh Mejia was the second three-run home run she has hit this season. The first came against Utah Valley on Feb. 16.
- The run of three straight games with a homer by Hall marks the second time in her career she has done so, with the first coming in 2023 for Boise State.
- Hall is the first Sun Devil to homer in three straight games since Jordyn Van Hook went yard in four straight during the 2023 season.
- ASU's three home runs tied its season-high, which was also done on Feb. 7 against Miami (OH).
- Today's game marked the sixth time Kenzie Brown has recorded five or more strikeouts in an appearance.
- Brown finished the weekend without allowing a run in 10 consecutive innings pitched over three outings.
Head Coach Megan Bartlett
On the main takeaways from today's win:
"I thought Kenzie and Meika did a beautiful job today. When their rhythm would get off a pitch or two, or we give up a hit, they would just dial it right back in and went right at the next batter. Same with the defense. They just kind of scrapped it, went to the next play, and kept their cool. So if we can find some element of consistency with how young we are, we're going to be a tough ball club."
On being undefeated on Sundays:
"Big time, especially as we move into Big 12 play. You're playing three-game sets with people on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. So the fact that we can get up early, come out strong after a long weekend and find a way to win ball games should pay dividends."
Senior shortstop AJ Murphy
On the offense finding its rhythm moving forward:
"I think it's good rolling into next weekend and then into conference play. Building on that, and just trusting our plans, and trusting our abilities, and using that to do some things in conference."
Freshman right fielder Ashleigh Mejia
On starting the scoring for ASU:
"Just wanting to win, wanting to get a job done. That's something that I value a lot in my first year being here, and that's something we're taught. Just having grit and attacking what we're hunting. That's what kind of got the momentum going, and that's my whole process up to bat, what I was thinking."
Up Next
The final full weekend of non-conference play comes next, with the ASU Invitational next weekend at Farrington Stadium. The Sun Devils will play six games during the four-day event, beginning on Thursday with the first of two games against Oregon State.