PROVO, Utah – Entering Friday night’s potential series-deciding game between Sun Devil Softball and BYU, Arizona State head coach Megan Bartlett wanted her squad to play a complete game in all three phases – offensive, defensive and pitching – of the game.
Between Arizona State’s 10 runs on 16 hits, Meika Lauppe’s complete game effort in the pitching circle and the Sun Devils’ errorless defensive effort, consider Coach Bartlett’s request fulfilled following Arizona State’s 10-2 series-clinching win over the Cougars.
The bottom of the first provided the first opportunity for the Sun Devils to work towards that goal as Brooklyn Ulrich and Katie Chester combined for an inning-ending double play. Chester used that momentum to break a 0-0 tie with a three-run home run in the top of the second.
Despite allowing single runs in the bottom of the third and seventh, Lauppe (11-4) induced 13 ground ball outs to the 28 Cougar opposing batters. Of those 28 batters faced, only two reached third base, both of which eventually scored. By the end of the game, Lauppe become the first Sun Devil pitcher to throw a complete game and not issue a walk in a pitching appearance this season.
Lauppe’s pitching effort allowed the Arizona State offense to put the pieces in place and as a result the Sun Devils scored at least one run over the fifth, sixth and seventh innings to balloon a 4-1 lead into a 10-1 advantage entering the bottom of the seventh.
FROM HEAD COACH MEGAN BARTLETT
“Meika was outstanding tonight. She spun the ball really well; used the edges of the plate; worked with efficiency – she finished the game having thrown only 103 pitches – against very good hitters. I’m just incredibly proud of her effort tonight.”
FROM JUNIOR PITCHER MEIKA LAUPPE
“I just think using all my pitches on both sides of the plate tonight really made a big difference. The defense behind me was stellar tonight. I seriously could not have asked for more from them. They made routine plays, big plays and made plays in every moment and that’s awesome, especially when you’re a ground ball pitcher.”
GAME NOTES
- By inducing a ground out to Katie Chester to start the bottom of the fifth, it marked the sixth time this season Arizona State junior right-handed pitcher Meika Lauppe has induced 10-or-more ground ball outs in a single season.
- Friday night’s performance marked the fourth time in her last five pitching appearances Lauppe has accomplished the feat.
- By collecting double-digit hits for the second consecutive game against BYU, it marks the first time this season Arizona State has been credited with 10-or-more hits in back-to-back conference games since having 17 and 11 at Houston on April 18 and 19, respectively.
- The 10 runs scored by Arizona State throughout Friday evening’s contest marked the most runs scored by the Sun Devils in a game against BYU in Provo.
- The previous high was nine set by the Sun Devils on Thursday, April 30, 2026.
- Meika Lauppe became the first Arizona State pitcher to not walk a batter in a complete game effort since Kenzie Brown did not issue a free pass in a six-inning complete game at UTEP on April 9, 2025.
- Tanya Windle and Emily Schepp both recorded a three-hit outing on Friday night, marking the first time a pair of Sun Devils each had three hits in a Big 12 game since Samantha Swan and Brooklyn Ulrich both had three in ASU’s 16-8 win at Houston on Saturday, April 18, 2026.
UP NEXT
Arizona State (37-16, 10-13) will look to firmly secure its place in next week’s Big 12 Conference Tournament by capping a three-game sweep of BYU (18-32, 7-16) when the two programs conclude the three-game series at Miller Park Complex at 11 a.m. MST / 12 p.m. MDT on Saturday, May 2.
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