TEMPE, Ariz. – The Western Michigan softball team earned a split at the Kajikawa Classic on Saturday, bouncing back from a 12-0 loss in five innings to No. 5 Arizona to defeat No. 22 Arizona State 9-7 in the nightcap.
The victory over the Sun Devils marked the Broncos' first versus a ranked foe since May 1, 2018, and their first against ASU since 1994. WMU now has three ranked wins since the start of the 2018 campaign.
On Saturday, the Bronco offense was led by
Mackenzie Swinehart's three runs batted in, two scored and two hits, including her first career home run, versus the Sun Devils. Junior
Sydney Stefanick put up three hits against Arizona State and tallied her first homer of the campaign. Senior
Kaylen Glenfield chipped in with two hits and a run scored as eight Broncos crossed home versus Arizona State. Earlier in the day, seniors
Emma Nuyen and
Samantha Pico each collected a hit against the fifth-ranked Wildcats.
Stefanick picked up the win in the circle against Arizona State, going the full seven innings and yielding seven runs off eight hits to go along with five strikeouts, three walks and one hit batter.
In the nightcap versus the host Sun Devils, the Broncos jumped out to an early 3-0 lead in the top of the second inning. A walk by junior
Samantha Coffel started the frame and she was replaced by sophomore pinch runner
Maggie Kehoe. A sacrifice bunt from Glenfield advanced Kehoe to second and she scored on an error by the third baseman. After another error allowed Nuyen to reach, Swinehart cleared the bases with a two-run triple.
Arizona State (1-2) fought back in the bottom of the inning with four runs, starting with a leadoff solo home run from Denae Chatman. With two on and one out after a single, walk and fielder's choice, the Sun Devils hit back-to-back doubles to send in three more runs to take a 4-3 lead after two.
The third inning opened with Stefanick's solo home run to tie things back up at 4-4. The Broncos had three hits in the inning, from Glenfield and senior
Cari Padula, but left both on base.
After a scoreless showing for the Sun Devils in the third, the Broncos came up with two runs in the top of the fourth to regain the lead at 6-4. With one out and Swinehart on third following a walk and Pico double, Stefanick doubled to center to send Swinehart home. After a groundout, WMU had runners on second and third and Coffel sent a single to center field to bring in Pico.
WMU added three more runs in the top of the fifth to go up 9-4. Consecutive singles by Glenfield and junior
Sophia Ehlers started the frame and both moved up a base with a sacrifice bunt before freshman pinch hitter
Courtney Farrish delivered the pair with a single. Swinehart followed with her solo home run for the six-run advantage.
Arizona State came back with a vengeance in the bottom of the sixth with three runs to cut the Bronco lead to 9-7. With the bases loaded and one out, the Sun Devils got a run back on an RBI single that kept the bases full. An error by junior second baseman
Jordyn Swinehart brought in another run to make it a 9-6 affair. A sacrifice fly delivered the third run of the inning before a pop out closed the frame.
The Broncos sealed the win as Stefanick sent Arizona State down in order in the bottom of the seventh.
In game one against the Wildcats, a pair of home runs and a run-scoring wild pitch gave Arizona a 5-0 lead after two complete innings. All-America Alyssa Palomino-Cardoza's two-run shot in the first preceded a run-scoring wild pitch and two-run blast from Isabella Dayton in the second.
Arizona (4-0) added another three runs in the third, two more in the fourth and two more in the fifth to complete the run-rule decision. The Wildcats tacked on three more home runs with Palomino-Cardoza ending the contest with three RBI.
The Broncos picked up singles from Nuyen and Pico while Swinehart and Coffel each drew walks to account for WMU's baserunners.
In the circle versus the Wildcats, junior
Reily Galloway started and allowed eight runs on eight hits, two walks and two wild pitches in 2.2 innings. She also fanned a pair. Freshman
Autumn Godwin came in for the final 2.1 frames and surrendered four runs on six hits and a walk.
WMU (1-3) wraps up the tournament Sunday with an 11:30 a.m. contest versus No. 12 Tennessee that will be broadcast on PAC-12 Networks.
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