TEMPE, Ariz. – It was a crowded and exciting evening at Farrington Softball Stadium as the Arizona State softball team wrapped up its six-game fall ball exhibition schedule with a 15-5 win over the Pima College Aztecs on Tuesday, Nov. 11.
To call ASU’s 15-5 win against the Aztecs exciting would be an understatement.
Despite the lopsided scoreline, the first inning was not in the Sun Devils’ favor. Aztecs third baseman Jiselle Nunez hit a two-run home run, scoring both herself and second baseman Clarissa Figueroa to start off the night.
Although the Aztecs put up another run at the top of the second, Arizona State’s starting pitcher, senior left-handed pitcher Aissa Silva, struck out three in her two innings of work, before senior right-handed pitcher Kenzie Brown came in for relief.
Entering the third inning, ASU remained scoreless until sophomore outfielder Ashleigh Mejia stepped up to the plate with the bases loaded and only one out. Mejia knocked in three runs on a triple, furthering her strong fall performances.
In last week’s exhibition game against Phoenix College, the sophomore outfielder went 4-for-4 at the plate with two singles, a double and a home run.
“Ash is certainly a tremendous hitter, we had a lot of talks about not needing her to be more powerful,” Coach Bartlett said. “We don’t need her to try to do too much at the plate. We just need her to get her average up.”
Following Mejia’s at-bat, ASU junior infielder Emily Schepp hit an explosive two run home run to conclude the high scoring inning, giving ASU a 5-3 lead.
“This team’s tagline is ‘Don’t talk about it, be about it,’” Bartlett said. “This team has figured out they can leverage their big personalities into wins, intensity, and intention and I think you’re starting to see a product of just that.”
Another player who had a dominant impact in tonight’s matchup was redshirt senior outfielder Kaylee Pond, who went 2-for-3 with a double and a home run.
Coming off a 35-21 overall record, 14-10 in conference play, on top of a Big 12 Softball Championship semifinals appearance last season, the Sun Devils have big shoes to fill in 2026.
When Bartlett was asked what area of the game she wanted to strengthen before the spring, her answer was immediate.
“Defense,” Bartlett stated. “We went and got hitters, we have a lot of kids who can hit, we certainly have a tight pitching staff, but now we’ve gotta figure out how to put things together defensively.”
In their 2026 fall ball exhibition slate, the Sun Devils faced six teams over the span of a little less than a month to prepare for the upcoming spring season. These matchups included games against Eastern Arizona College, a double-header with Grand Canyon University, Central Arizona College, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Phoenix College and Pima College. After tonight, ASU has ended the fall season with a 6-1 record.
Before turning their attention to spring competition, ASU Softball will be hosting its annual Maroon and Gold intersquad scrimmage on Wednesday, Nov. 19.