TEMPE – Sun Devil Softball appeared in prime position to take an early first-inning lead over UCF for the second consecutive night, but the tables turned on Arizona State as the Knights used runs in the second and third innings to lay the foundation for its 8-1 win over ASU on Saturday night.
In the bottom of the first, Tanya Windle drew a four-pitch walk against UCF starting pitcher Reagan Vokoun. Kaylee Pond very nearly followed with her own walk but popped up a 3-2 pitch to shortstop. And then Windle was caught trying to steal second base during an Ashleigh Mejia at bat that resulted in her grounding out to shortstop.
UCF capitalized on the momentum swing moments later when Beth Damon sent a 3-1 pitch over the right field wall for a solo home run. Arizona State attempted to answer the one-run top of the second with its own run-scoring second. But Samantha Swan, who hit a one-out double in the inning, was stranded there following a pop up and strikeout.
The Knights added three more runs the following inning with a two-run home run off the bat of Kendall Yarnell being the heavy blow.
Arizona State appeared in prime position to cut its deficit in the bottom of the fourth after back-to-back walks from Mejia and Katie Chester proceeded a single by Swan to load the bases with no outs.
But Emily Schepp’s flyout to centerfield wasn’t deep enough to score Mejia from third and Brooklyn Ulrich and JazMarie Roberts followed with back-to-back fielder’s choices that were unable to score a run.
The Sun Devils, did however, breakthrough in the run column in the bottom of the fifth when Mejia doubled down the right field line to score Windle, who was credited with a one-out single earlier in the frame, from first. The four-run deficit was cut to three – and nearly two – but Nehanda Lewis, who entered the game to pinch run for Mejia, was stranded at third base.
After a two-out solo home run in the top of the sixth extended UCF’s lead back out to four, the Sun Devils, again, appeared in a golden scenario to score a run after Swan and Schepp both successfully reached base to start the sixth. But a double play at the second base and a routine ground out to shortstop left Corie Shull, who entered as a pinch runner for Swan, at third base.
Following a three-run, three-hit top of the seventh, Kaylee Pond attempted to spark a two-out rally in the bottom of the seventh with her double to the left-centerfield gap. But Sydney Saenz popped up a 2-1 pitch to shortstop to end the game.
FROM HEAD COACH MEGAN BARTLETT
“UCF hit some balls out of the yard. I don’t think we really executed very well. We defended OK. We had solid ground ball defense. Brooklyn (Ulrich) made some great plays up the middle. (Samantha) Swan continued to do Samantha Swan things. But yeah, we just couldn’t get it done tonight.”
GAME NOTES
- With her 3-for-3 performance at the plate on Saturday night, Arizona State’s Samantha Swan now has been credited with two-or-more hits in her last seven consecutive games played.
- In fact, when she steps into the batter’s box during Sunday’s game against UCF, Swan will be riding an eight-game hitting streak.
- Since Swan’s hitting streak started on March 28, 2026, she has risen her batting average from .337 up to .404.
- Saturday afternoon’s 2-hour, 21-minute contest was the longest – time wise – conference game for Arizona State since playing in a 2-hour, 32-minute contest at Arizona on Sunday, March 22, 2026.
- Samantha Swan’s three-hit outing marked the most hits by a Sun Devil in a single game since Emily Schepp was credited with three during Arizona State’s 8-5 win at Kansas on Thursday, April 2, 2026.
- In fact, when she steps into the batter’s box during Sunday’s game against UCF, Swan will be riding an eight-game hitting streak.
UP NEXT
Arizona State (31-12, 5-9) and UCF (31-11-1, 8-8-1) will wrap up their three-game weekend Big 12 Conference series on Sunday, April 12, when the two squads take the field at Farrington Stadium for a 12 p.m. MST first pitch.
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