(Austin, TX) The University of Texas used a two-out, two-run pinch hit home run by Victoria Hunter in the top of the sixth to surge ahead of Sun Devil Softball and ultimately force the if necessary game of the NCAA Austin Super Regional following the 4-3 outcome.
Looking to copy and paste the game script from last Sunday’s NCAA Bryan-College Station Regional finale against Texas A&M, the Arizona State coaching staff opted to give the ball to Meika Lauppe to start Saturday’s contest. And the California native rewarded her team’s confidence in her by holding the Longhorns scoreless through the game’s first four innings.
Over those same four innings, the Sun Devils gave their junior right-hander a two-run lead with run-scoring hits by Brooklyn Ulrich in the second and Samantha Swan in the third, respectively.
After spending the top of the fourth warming up in the bullpen, Arizona State opted to turn to Kenzie Brown (18-7) following a fielding error to give Texas a leadoff base runner to start the fifth. The Longhorns managed to score two two-out unearned runs off Brown to tie the game, 2-2, heading into the bottom of the fifth.
The tie stood until Swan hit a 1-0 pitch from Citlaly Gutierrez (9-3) – just eight pitches into the bottom of the fifth – to push the Sun Devils ahead.
Two-out magic struck, again, for the Longhorns in the top of the sixth when Victoria Hunter, who entered the game as a pinch hitter, hit the third pitch of her plate appearance over the left field fence for a go-ahead two-run home run that also scored Ashton Maloney, who reached first base earlier in the frame with a one-out single into shallow left field.
Gutierrez set down the next six consecutive Sun Devils to force a series-deciding game on Sunday afternoon.
GAME NOTES
With Saturday night’s result, Arizona State is now 36-3 on the season when leading after the fifth inning.
Saturday evening’s game marked the ninth time this season that Arizona State’s Kenzie Brown did not issue a walk during a pitching appearance.
It was, however, the first time this season the Sun Devils have lost a game when Brown does not issue a walk.
By holding Texas without an earned run in four innings of work on Saturday, Meika Lauppe now has 18 pitching appearances throughout the 2026 season without allowing an earned run.
Arizona State is now 13-5 this season when Lauppe does not allow an earned run in a pitching appearance.
UP NEXT
Arizona State (45-17) will play in the decisive Game 3 of a three-game NCAA Austin Super Regional against Texas (46-11) on ESPN at 3:30 p.m. CDT / 1:30 p.m. MST on Sunday, May 24.
Press Release courtesy of Sun Devil Athletics – Chris Brown
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