BYU falls 8-0 to No. 23 ASU in five innings

PHOENIX — BYU softball fell to No. 23 Arizona State University 8-0 in five innings on Thursday evening in its first game of the Sun Devil Classic at Alberta B. Farrington Softball Stadium.

ASU started off with four runs in the bottom of the first inning. First, senior Yannira Acuña homered past right field to take a 1-0 lead for ASU. It was her 50th career home run. Later, sophomore Emily Cazares doubled to left field, allowing ASU to score. After a quick 2-0 lead, BYU’s Chloe Temples came in to pitch in place of Autumn Moffat-Korth. The Sun Devils scored two more runs off a triple down the right field line by senior Marissa Schuld, bringing the score to 4-0.

Temples had two back-to-back strikeouts in the bottom of the third inning, her only strikeouts of the game.

BYU got a couple runners on base in the top of the fourth. Macy Simmons was walked and Martha Epenesa singled to right field for Simmons’ pinch runner Alexis Gilio to make it to third base. Gilio was then picked off for BYU’s third out.

Arizona State would score four more runs in the bottom of the fifth inning. Another home run from Acuña made the score 5-0. Then, a three-run walk-off home run by senior Jazmin Rollin ended the game at 8-0. 

Up next, the Cougars will play Grand Canyon University and Rutgers University at 12 p.m. MST and 2:30 p.m. MST, respectively. The game against GCU will be streaming live on ESPN+.