TEMPE – The horrors of Friday night’s eighth inning creeped into Saturday afternoon’s conference matchup between Sun Devil Softball and Utah as the Utes used a nine-run second inning to run past Arizona State, 15-0, in five innings.
After the two teams traded scoreless first innings, Utah (20-5, 2-0) sent 12 batters to the plate throughout the second and scored nine runs on five hits while capitalizing on three walks and a hit by pitch. The frame was highlighted by a pair of two-run doubles, a three-run home run and a two-run single.
The Utes went on to add three more runs on two hits and a throwing error during the top of the third to extend their lead, before adding two more on a home run off the bat of Mia Gomez in the fourth.
The bottom of the fourth provided the lone scoring opportunity for the Sun Devils, too, as Ashleigh Mejia – a leadoff single – and Ryan Brown – a one-out walk – both successfully reached base and moved into scoring position. However, a groundout off the bat of Tiare Ho-Ching left the pair of Sun Devils (19-5, 0-2) on base.
Utah capped its scoring on the afternoon with a solo home run by Shonty Passi in the top of the fifth.
From head coach Megan Bartlett
“Utah is a good team. They came to play this weekend, and we weren’t able to hold them down today. That’s a rough one, but we have to find a way to respond, which is the name of the game right now: ‘Are you going to hang your head or are you going to show up tomorrow – on a new day – to scrap and compete?’ And that was the challenge laid before our players after today’s game.”
Game notes
- As a result of her first inning walk, Arizona State’s Kaylee Pond has now drawn at least one walk in eight of her last nine games played.
- With her third inning walk, first-year Sun Devil Brooklyn Ulrich drew her seventh walk on the season and first since Feb. 22, 2026 against New Mexico State.
- Saturday’s contest marked the 13th consecutive game that Arizona State has earned multiple walks during the same game. Overall, the Sun Devils have drawn at least one walk in all 24 games through the early portion of the 2026 campaign.
- The Arizona State pitching staff extended its streak to 30 consecutive games with at least one strikeout following a first-inning strikeout of Utah’s Kayla Lyon by Sun Devil starting pitcher Meika Lauppe.
- By leading off the bottom of the fourth inning with a single through the left side of the infield, ASU’s Ashleigh Mejia extended her hitting streak to 10 consecutive games, marking the second time this season the sophomore outfielder has recorded a hitting streak of 10 or more games. Additionally, the base hit extended her on-base streak to 21 consecutive games, the longest active streak by any Sun Devil this season.
Up next
- Arizona State and Utah will wrap up its three-game conference series on Sunday, March 8, when the two will meet at Farrington Stadium for a 12 p.m. MST first pitch on ESPN+.
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