TEMPE – On a night when every starter recorded a hit at the plate, it was the pitching effort of Kenzie Brown that spurred Sun Devil Softball to a 9-2 win over Oregon State to open the ASU Invitational.
Trailing 2-0 with two runners on base when she entered in the top of the second inning, Brown set the tone for her evening by striking out the first two batters she faced to get out of the jam. She then held Oregon State (6-9) scoreless the rest of the game while striking out a career-high 13 batters.
While Brown was dealing, the ASU (11-5) offense struggled to get started. That flipped in the fourth when Yannixa Acuña entered as a pinch hitter with runners on second and third. Her first plate appearance in 348 days resulted in a game-tying two-run triple.
Tiare Ho-Ching doubled to start the Sun Devil fifth inning and scored on an RBI single from Kelsey Hall. Now leading for the first time, Lillian Holtje smacked a two-run home run to left center for a 5-2 advantage. The next three hitters all reached base to allow for a sacrifice fly from Smanatha Swan, and then a two-run single by Takyla Davis capped a seven-run inning that resulted in the 9-2 final score.
ASU ended the night matching its season-high with 12 hits, with six going for extra bases. Windle tallied two doubles, with Swan and Acuña adding two hits apiece. Acuña also tied her career-high with three RBIs.
Brown earned her fifth win of the season after allowing two hits. She combined with Meika Lauppe to hold Oregon State to 2-for-17 with runners on base while they stranded 10 baserunners.
Notable
The ASU Invitational continues on Friday with four games at Farrington Stadium. The Sun Devils will be in action at 4 p.m. against Seattle U and at 6:30 p.m. versus Yale.
Trailing 2-0 with two runners on base when she entered in the top of the second inning, Brown set the tone for her evening by striking out the first two batters she faced to get out of the jam. She then held Oregon State (6-9) scoreless the rest of the game while striking out a career-high 13 batters.
While Brown was dealing, the ASU (11-5) offense struggled to get started. That flipped in the fourth when Yannixa Acuña entered as a pinch hitter with runners on second and third. Her first plate appearance in 348 days resulted in a game-tying two-run triple.
Tiare Ho-Ching doubled to start the Sun Devil fifth inning and scored on an RBI single from Kelsey Hall. Now leading for the first time, Lillian Holtje smacked a two-run home run to left center for a 5-2 advantage. The next three hitters all reached base to allow for a sacrifice fly from Smanatha Swan, and then a two-run single by Takyla Davis capped a seven-run inning that resulted in the 9-2 final score.
ASU ended the night matching its season-high with 12 hits, with six going for extra bases. Windle tallied two doubles, with Swan and Acuña adding two hits apiece. Acuña also tied her career-high with three RBIs.
Brown earned her fifth win of the season after allowing two hits. She combined with Meika Lauppe to hold Oregon State to 2-for-17 with runners on base while they stranded 10 baserunners.
Notable
- The 13 strikeouts from Brown are the most by a Sun Devil since Cielo Meza struck out 14 during a no-hitter against Seattle U on Feb. 9, 2020.
- Brown matched her career-high with 5.2 innings pitched.
- Brown's current streak of 15.2 innings without allowing a run is the longest of her career.
- Acuña's last at-bat before Thursday was a single against Oregon State on March 15, 2024. Later in that game, she injured her knee and missed the remainder of the season.
- Acuña now has a hit in the last four games she has had a plate appearance and in 20 of the 27 games she has played since the start of the 2024 season.
- This was the first time since Feb. 18, 2023, versus DePaul that every ASU starter had a hit in the same game.
The ASU Invitational continues on Friday with four games at Farrington Stadium. The Sun Devils will be in action at 4 p.m. against Seattle U and at 6:30 p.m. versus Yale.