(Tempe, AZ) Despite a career-long outing in the circle from Marissa Schuld, Sun Devil Softball dropped the second game of its weekend series with No. 19 Oregon 5-2 on Saturday night at Farrington Stadium.
Schuld provided the Sun Devils (21-15, 5-9 Pac-12) with her first complete game of the season while going seven innings for the first time in her career. She allowed Oregon (27-11, 7-7 Pac-12) five runs on eight hits with four strikeouts.
At the plate, ASU totaled only four hits for the second straight game and they were 1-for-5 with runners in scoring position.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Much like Friday night, the Sun Devils scored first with a bases-loaded groundout from Jordyn VanHook gave ASU a 1-0 lead.
Oregon struck back and took a one run lead in the top of the second inning with a pair of doubles and a double steal to take a 2-1 lead.
Schuld settled in after and retired nine straight Ducks until a one-out single in the fifth. Oregon then posted back-to-back doubles to open a 4-1 lead.
Schuld reached on an error with two outs in the bottom of the fifth and then Jazmine Hill tripled to cut the deficit to 5-2.
Another two-out run from Oregon in the sixth provided the game’s final margin.
NOTABLE
Schuld’s previous high for innings pitched was six against Oregon State on March 19, 2022. Her longest outing this season was 3.1 versus CSUN in the season opener.
Yanni Acuña reach base all three time she came to the plate with a hit by pitch, single, and intentional walk. She has now reached safely in her last eight plate appearances dating back to the finale of the Utah series.
Her single in the third inning extended her hitting streak to four games, which is one shy of her season long.
Acuña scored the 147th run of her career to move within two of eighth in program history.
Hill’s triple was her first since March 10, 2022, against BYU, and the seventh of her career which is tied for 14th-most in program history.
QUOTES
Head coach Megan Bartlett
On Oregon’s ability to put the ball into play:
“Everybody on our staff, but Kylee (Magee) and Marissa (Schuld) are going to throw the best changeups. So really I think Marissa had their speed kids mistime a few swings at the end of the game. Which works awesome for us. She did a nice job there. I mean Oregon has great hitters. They got wonderful athletes, kids who can ride time and drop bunts and bombs. This is just another heartbreaker, I keep saying that, you just have ot tip your hat, I think they executed really well. They have a lot of different ways to beat you.”
On igniting the energy on the team and Jazmine Hill’s Triple:
“Yes absolutely, slowly but surely we’re going to get Jaz Hill going. I think that was great. I think I was most proud of that at-bat is that she kinda bit on a pitch when she knew she shouldn’t have. She watched another one and then got the pitch that she could handle and she drove it down the line. A big piece with that one is knowing what pitch you’re running and the strength of your swing, and getting that pitch and making good of it. That’s what we’ve been working through with her, as a batter there’s very free things you can control at the plate, but your pitch selection is one of them, so I was happy for Jaz (Hill), we could use a bit more of that fire, so we’ll keep finding ways of getting her into the lineup.”
On Raising Awareness for Breast Cancer Tonight:
“The pregame meeting actually was we talked a lot about perspective, and there’s moments where you might want to fold or quit, there’s 2,000 people in the stadium that you represent something that’s really really special to them. There’s little girls down on the benches that want your autograph and it’s even more important tonight. It’s the cancer awareness game and what an absolute privilege. Grateful to be a part of it, and hopefully it brings them some joy and spark.”
Graduate pitcher Marissa Schuld
On using platform for breast cancer awareness with tonight being the Cancer Awareness game:
“They’ve been through a lot and I try to fight like them and I try to take the field for them every day. So I know what it is like to have some health problems in the mix of things. So it takes a strong person and I have full respect for all of those people.”
On being a leader of this program:
“So I think if I could just lead the way, I’m not really a talker, but I try to lead by example and just be my best self and show up for them every single day.”
UP NEXT
The Sun Devils will look to salvage the series against the Ducks on Sunday afternoon at 2 p.m. MST. The game will be broadcast on the Pac-12 Network.
Press Release courtesy of Sun Devil Athletics – Josh Fisher
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