TEMPE, Ariz- Junior infielder Nehanda Lewis second inning homerun brought Farrington Stadium to their feet, as Arizona State (2-1) scraped by Texas State (2-1) late in Tempe.
Lewis swung at the first pitch and homered to center field, resulting in her teammates and fans cheering in awe.
The second day of the Kajikawa Classic saw ASU defeat the Texas State Bobcats at Alberta Farrington Stadium on Friday, Feb. 6. The game's decisive moments came down to strong pitching and great defensive work.
“They’re a wonderful compliment to one another, and they’re happy to hand the ball off to each other,” coachMegan Bartlett said to the media postgame. “Defensively, they continue to gain confidence, which is fun.”
Lewis provided the Sun Devils with a crucial home run but also played amazing defense. The second baseman stopped anything that came her way, including a run-saving diving catch in the fifth inning.
“The homer or the run? Honestly, they probably liked all of it,” Lewis said, referring to her teammates' reactions to her plays. “Truthfully, we all cheer each other on to the max through every little play.”
Similarly, Bartlett provided great analysis on just how Lewis played.
“I think Nini probably had nine or 10 putouts by herself and just read the ball really well,” Bartlett said. “She just worked so hard, so hard since we’ve had her.”
Likewise, senior outfielder Tanya Windle provided a strong game for ASU as well, racking up a hit and two RBI throughout the game.
That lone hit came as Windle lined toward the Texas State second baseman, who could not recover in time.
“I mean, it wasn’t the greatest hit, but at the end of the day, we still won the ball game,” Windle said. “Playing behind someone who’s an absolute dog out there and the energy that everyone wants.”
With senior pitcher Kenzie Brown out for most of the game after her 100-plus pitch effort the evening prior against No. 3 Oklahoma, coach Bartlett brought out senior pitcher Aissa Silva and junior pitcher Meika Luappe to handle the pitching duties.
Brown did not show up in the game until the seventh, icing the game for the Sun Devils.
Bartlett praised the depth her roster contains, from three great pitchers to players who can come into the game and go yard.
“I mean, truly, anybody at any given time can run the ball in this ballpark in that lineup,” Bartlett said. “So we knew that was going to kind of be a strength.”
Texas State, on the other hand, completed a rough showing from its infielders. Throughout the game, multiple fielding miscues led to three errors.
Despite the poor defense, the Bobcats’ great pitching from junior pitcher Maddy Azua kept the game close.
Bartlett had high praise for the Texas State pitcher.
“Maddy Azua is a plus arm, which is the best in her conference,” Bartlett said. “On a national level, I think she might have led the nation in strikeouts; she's so good that she is able to make up for any miscues they had on defense.”
With a matchup against Northwestern tomorrow, the Sun Devils are looking to improve to 3-1 over a three-day period.
“So I just stay humble, stay grounded, take a deep breath and just play tomorrow,” Lewis said. We are able to beat any team that crosses our path. We just have to stick to what we’ve been doing from the fall and spring and apply it to the game.”