COLLEGE STATION, Texas – Continuing to use momentum created during last weekend’s Big 12 Softball Tournament, Sun Devil Softball hit five home runs – the second most in a single game this season – to power past McNeese, 8-0, in five innings to win its opening game of the NCAA Bryan-College Station Regional on Friday afternoon.
Kaylee Pond started the offensive outburst when she hit the sixth pitch of the bottom of the first 240 feet for a solo home run, her 15th long ball of the season. Samantha Swan, two pitches later, made it 2-0, Sun Devils, with 11th home run on the season as she sent a 1-0 pitch 252 feet to center field.
Most Sun Devil Softball Wins (2014-26/Past 13 Seasons)
2018: 48-13 (Tricia Ford/WCWS)
2014: 46-12-1 (Craig Nicholson/NCAA Regional)
2022: 43-11 (Trisha Ford/Pac-12 champs/NCAA Super Regional)
2026: 42-16 (Megan Bartlett/Big 12 Tournament Champions)
With Meika Lauppe (14-4) holding the Cowgirl offense in the stable for the game’s first four innings, she allowed the Sun Devil offense to come back to life in the bottom of the fourth as Tiare Ho-Ching hit an 0-1 pitch off the left field videoboard to double the ASU lead. Moments later, Emily Schepp produced her team-leading 28th two-out RBI on the season when she drove home Tanya Windle from second base on a two-out single to left field.
After Lauppe completed her third consecutive 1-2-3 inning, Ashleigh Mejia and Ho-Ching hit the fourth and fifth home runs by a Sun Devil in the game as Mejia led off the frame with a first-pitch solo home run before Ho-Ching sent a 2-0 pitch off the videoboard, again, for a two-out solo home run.
The Sun Devil offense didn’t stop, despite a seven-run lead, as the leadoff trio of Windle, Pond and Swan produced two infield singles and a walk that resulted in Windle scoring the game-ending run on a Swan single to shortstop.
FROM HEAD COACH MEGAN BARTLETT
“I thought we did a tremendous job today. This is a big environment. Meika (Lauppe) settled in nicely in the circle, then got great run support while her defense really picked up the ball from go. I’m just really happy.”
FROM JUNIOR PITCHER MEIKA LAUPPE
“I really just wanted to stay on the corners tonight and trust my defense. It was also kind of nice to see the miles per hour up on the scoreboard, so I could tell if I was throwing too hard and overthrowing, which is something we’ve talked about this season.”
FROM SOPHOMORE INFIELDER TIARE HO-CHING
“Honestly, I’m not sure I remember much from my at bats. I just took a deep breath and tried to step into the box relaxed, which I haven’t done a lot of in the past. So, I need to keep doing that, obviously, since it worked well today.”
GAME NOTES
- With Kaylee Pond and Samantha Swan hitting back-to-back solo home runs in the bottom of the first, it marks the second consecutive game the Sun Devils have hit back-to-back home runs after Emily Schepp and Katie Chester hit back-to-back third-inning home runs off Kaitlyn Terry during Arizona State’s Big 12 Softball Tournament-winning game against Texas Tech on Saturday, May 9.
- Despite having played each other twice – a combined 21 innings – during the 2016 NCAA Baton Rouge Regional, Friday afternoon’s game marked the first time the Sun Devils have hit multiple home runs during a single NCAA Regional game against the Cowgirls.
- Pond’s home run marked the first home run by a Sun Devil in a NCAA Tournament game under head coach Megan Bartlett.
- As a result of her second inning walk, Kaylee Pond was credited with her 40th walk on the season, marking the 19th time a Sun Devil has drawn 40-or-more walks during a single season.
- Pond is the first Sun Devil to earn 40-or-more (40) walks during a season since Cydney Sanders drew 45 in 54 games throughout the 2022 season.
- Friday afternoon’s performance marked the second career complete game shutout for third-year Sun Devil Meika Lauppe and first since Feb. 14, 2025, when she held Weber State to just two hits and did not surrender a run during ASU’s 11-0 win in five innings.
- Friday’s win marked the first NCAA Regional win for Sun Devil Softball head coach Megan Bartlett and the Arizona State softball program overall since May 22, 2022, when ASU closed out the Tempe Regional with an 8-4 win over San Diego State.
UP NEXT
Arizona State (42-16) will advance to play host Texas A&M (37-17) during Saturday’s slate of the NCAA Bryan-College Station Regional with a 2 p.m. CDT / 12 p.m. MST first pitch.
Saturday’s game will mark the first time the Sun Devils and Aggies have played in a NCAA Tournament game since May 27, 2011, when ASU closed out the 2011 Tempe Super Regional with a 4-2 win.
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