TEMPE, Ariz. — In her first start after earning an AUSL “Golden Ticket” to pitch professionally, Arizona State senior right-handed pitcher Kenzie Brown showed everyone why with another masterpiece on Friday, April 10.

Brown pitched a complete game, striking out 13 and allowing only one run as ASU (31-11, 5-8 Big 12) rode Brown’s pitching and a three-run sixth inning to a 7-1 victory over No. 22 UCF (30-11-1, 8-7-1 Big 12) at Farrington Stadium on Friday.

Sun Devils junior third baseman Emily Schepp set the tone with a three-run home run in the first inning, which took some weight off of Brown’s shoulders.

“Pitching with the lead is always much easier,” Brown said. “I can play more free.”

ASU head coach Megan Bartlett praised Brown’s dominance.

“When she’s on, it’s so fun to watch her pitch,” Bartlett said. “Just so many tricks, she can go up, she can go down, changeup was working tonight. She did a great job.”

For Brown, the 13-strikeout gem placed the cherry on top of receiving one of college softball’s most prestigious honors on Tuesday, April 7.

After the Sun Devils’ 13-0 blowout of UTEP, ESPN’s Holly Rowe presented Brown with a Golden Ticket to pitch in the Athletes Unlimited Softball League, the newly founded premier professional softball league in the United States.

“It was definitely super emotional,” Brown said. “I don’t think it has set in yet.”

Despite the honor, Brown said she remains focused on the present moment.

“I’m going to give everything I have to this Sun Devil team because that’s what they deserve,” Brown said.

Bartlett said Brown’s impact on the program goes far beyond her pitching talent.

“She has done nothing but sacrifice and be our hardest worker,” Bartlett said. “Chose to be a Sun Devil when everybody in the country was trying to tamper out of the program, and they just don’t make humans and kids like that anymore.”

Friday’s contest featured two 2025 first-team All-Big 12 pitchers, with Brown being named a first-team All-American and Knights sophomore right-handed pitcher Isabella Vega making the freshman All-American first team last season.

However, ASU got on the board early against Vega, with Schepp’s homer capping off a four-run first inning for the Sun Devils.

Bartlett credited ASU’s early attack to the preparation of her team.

“I thought the girls just locked into the game plan from ‘go’ really well,” Bartlett said. “We’re finally home after three weeks on the road, so we actually had some time to properly prepare.”

Vega eventually settled in, throwing four consecutive scoreless innings after the bumpy start. However, the Sun Devils’ bats woke up again in the sixth, putting up three runs to extend their lead to 7-1.

ASU’s offensive outburst came against a UCF pitching staff that only surrendered three runs over an entire three-game series against Utah last weekend.

Schepp, along with junior catcher Samantha Swan, led the charge for the Sun Devils with two hits on the night.

ASU senior designated player Tanya Windle found herself in the lineup for the second game in a row after missing over a month due to injury.

Despite an 0-for-4 outing at the dish, Windle praised her teammates for lifting the Sun Devils to victory.

“It was a rough start for me, it’s my first series back,” Windle said. “But, my girls definitely came through, towards the end especially, to get the win. So, I’m super proud of my team.”

Following a tough series loss at Kansas, ASU took a step in the right direction towards picking up its second series win in Big 12 play.

However, this isn’t the Sun Devils’ first time winning the opening game of a series. ASU is now 4-1 in Big 12 series openers this season, but only managed to win one of those four series.

Despite the Sun Devils’ struggles to close out series, Bartlett believes this time can be different.

“We’ve got a very good team,” Bartlett said. “So, when we’re executing plans, relying on our training and our preparation and not letting the moment get too big, we get dangerous.”