# SEC Softball: Arizona State Sun Devils Defeats Texas Longhorns 4-1

**Published:** 2026-05-23 — **By:** Stacy Stanfield
**Category:** games — **Type:** game-recap
**Source:** https://secscouts.com/news/arizona-state-defeats-texas-4-1-sec-softball

**Teams:** [Texas](https://secscouts.com/texas/)

**Players:** [Citlaly - P Gutierrez](https://secscouts.com/players/?id=13408), [Teagan - P Kavan](https://secscouts.com/players/?id=13472), [Kayden Henry](https://secscouts.com/players/kayden-henry), [Ashton Maloney](https://secscouts.com/players/ashton-maloney), [Viviana Martinez](https://secscouts.com/players/viviana-martinez), [Katie Stewart](https://secscouts.com/players/katie-stewart), [Hannah Wells](https://secscouts.com/players/?id=13407)


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AUSTIN, Texas (05/21/2026) — The Arizona State Sun Devils handed the Texas Longhorns a 4-1 loss at McCombs Field on Thursday, riding a complete-game gem from Kenzie Brown and a three-RBI night from Samantha Swan to take the series opener in commanding fashion.

Arizona State controlled the action from the third inning forward, never trailing and never surrendering the lead after taking it. The Sun Devils answered Texas' lone equalizer with a decisive two-run frame in the fifth and added insurance before the Longhorns could mount a response.

## How It Happened

Arizona State struck first in the top of the third. Tiare Ho-Ching reached and came around to score on a Swan single to center, giving the Sun Devils a 1-0 advantage. The early lead set the tone for an evening in which Arizona State consistently put pressure on Texas starter Teagan Kavan.

Texas answered in the bottom of the fourth. Hannah Wells got hold of one and sent it over the center field fence for a solo home run, tying the game at 1-1 and momentarily quieting an Arizona State offense that had been working deep counts against Kavan. It was the only run the Longhorns would push across all night.

The top of the fifth proved decisive. Arizona State broke the tie when Swan ripped another single to center, this one plating both Cydney Shull and Tanya Windle to make it 3-1. Moments later, Ashleigh Mejia laced a double to deep center, scoring Nehanda Lewis and pushing the lead to 4-1. Mejia was thrown out trying to stretch the play at third base, but the damage was done. Texas turned to Citlaly Gutierrez in relief, and she stabilized the inning with two scoreless frames, but the Longhorns could not generate the offense needed to climb back.

## Turning Point

The fifth-inning eruption settled the game. With the score knotted at 1-1 and the crowd at McCombs Field locked in, Swan's two-RBI single to center off Kavan flipped the energy permanently in Arizona State's favor. Mejia's follow-up double made it a three-run lead and effectively closed the door on Texas. The 3-0 run within that frame represented the biggest run of the night and gave Brown all the cushion she would need in the circle.

## Star of the Game

Swan delivered the offensive performance of the evening, going 2-for-4 with three RBI and driving in runs in both of Arizona State's scoring innings. Her third-inning single produced the game's opening run, and her fifth-inning knock plated the two runs that flipped the scoreboard for good.

In the circle, Brown was every bit as impressive. The right-hander tossed a complete game, allowing just four hits and one run while striking out 10 across 7.0 innings. After surrendering the Wells home run in the fourth, Brown locked in completely, working efficiently and limiting hard contact the rest of the way. The double-digit strikeout effort headlined a night in which Arizona State's pitching dictated the terms.

Mejia (2-for-3, 1 RBI) and Ho-Ching (2-for-3, 1 R) chipped in multi-hit performances to support the offensive effort.

## What It Means

For Arizona State, the win is a statement victory on the road and a showcase of the formula that has carried the Sun Devils — front-line pitching, opportunistic hitting with runners in scoring position, and the ability to add on after taking the lead. Brown's complete-game effort with 10 strikeouts will travel well in any postseason conversation, and Swan's clutch hitting gives Arizona State a proven middle-of-the-order presence.

For the Texas Longhorns, the loss stings on home turf. Kavan was tagged for four runs on eight hits across 5.0 innings, and outside of Wells' home run, the Texas offense managed just three hits on the night. With Gutierrez offering a sharp two-inning relief outing, the bullpen showed it can hold the line, but the Longhorns will need more length from the lineup to flip the script the rest of the way.

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*Original article: [SEC Softball: Arizona State Sun Devils Defeats Texas Longhorns 4-1](https://secscouts.com/news/arizona-state-defeats-texas-4-1-sec-softball) — SEC Scouts*