ASU Softball: Sun Devils split doubleheader to open Sun Devil Classic

Arizona State (12-3) went 1-1 in its matchups against New Mexico (8-11) and Charlotte (10-5) to open the Sun Devil Classic Friday at Farrington Stadium.

Game One - New Mexico

Give Kyle Magee the ball on Friday night, and she will give three solid innings most outings — even if she has to work her way through a few jams along the way.

The New Mexico game was no different. Magee went 3.0 innings, allowing four hits and an unearned run. She struck out three New Mexico batters in the process.

ASU played small-ball to jump to a 3-0 lead. Junior Emily Cazares (0-for-2, RBI) grounded out to score the first run of the game. Junior catcher Sara Kinch scored outfielder Makenna Harper on a sac-fly. Senior outfielder Yanni Acuña (3-for-3, 2 R, 2 RBI, 2B, 3B) scored on a throwing error on a Jaz Hill (2-for-3, 2 R) ground ball. When the Lobos cut the lead to 3-1, Acuña scored Hill on an RBI infield-single.

The Lobos threatened once more in the fifth, making the score 4-2 in ASU’s favor. Senior Jordyn VanHook (2-for-3, HR) had seen enough. VanHook launched her ninth homer of the year. The jalapeño-hot VanHook extended her hitting streak to nine games earlier.

Acuña added an RBI sac-fly to lock it up at the final score, 6-2. Marissa Schuld earned her third save on the season. Ball State-transfer Deborah Jones collected her second win in-relief.

Game Two - Charlotte

ASU Softball and ASU Baseball combined for 21 unearned runs-allowed in the Charlotte and UC Irvine games Friday night, which is truly a horrific stat.

In the Sun Devils’ 11-5 loss to Charlotte, all 11 runs were unearned. ASU committed four errors in the field, including two in the second inning that led to six Charlotte runs.

From that point forward, ASU was clawing back from large deficits. VanHook (2-for-3, RBI) and Harper (1-for-2) both homered. VanHook’s home run was her 10th long-ball of the year, and she is the fasted player in NCAAA Division I to 10 homers this season. She was the only Sun Devil with two hits Friday night. Her hitting-streak extended to 10 games.

Charlotte added five more runs combined in the third and fourth innings, and won 11-5.

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For live updates during ASU Softball’s games Friday against Michigan State and Boise State at Farrington Stadium, follow @HouseofSparky on Twitter.