# SEC Softball: Texas Longhorns Defeats Arizona State Sun Devils 4-3

**Published:** 2026-05-23 — **By:** Stacy Stanfield
**Category:** games — **Type:** game-recap
**Source:** https://secscouts.com/news/texas-longhorns-defeat-arizona-state-sun-devils-4-3-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), [Kaiah Altmeyer](https://secscouts.com/players/kaiah-altmeyer), [Reese Atwood](https://secscouts.com/players/reese-atwood), [Victoria Hunter](https://secscouts.com/players/victoria-hunter), [Ashton Maloney](https://secscouts.com/players/ashton-maloney), [Katie Stewart](https://secscouts.com/players/katie-stewart)


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AUSTIN, Texas (05/22/2026) — The Texas Longhorns rallied from an early two-run deficit to defeat the Arizona State Sun Devils 4-3 at McCombs Field on Friday, with Victoria Hunter's sixth-inning home run providing the decisive margin in a back-and-forth contest.

## How It Happened

Arizona State struck first in the top of the second when Brooklyn Ulrich doubled to left center, scoring Katie Chester to give the Sun Devils a 1-0 lead. The visitors extended their advantage in the third inning, as Samantha Swan reached on an infield single to shortstop, plating Tanya Windle and moving Kaylee Pond to third for a 2-0 edge.

The Longhorns sat quiet through four innings before mounting their offensive answer in the bottom of the fifth. Katie Stewart doubled to left to score Kaiah Altmeyer and cut the deficit to 2-1. Moments later, Reese Atwood singled to center, bringing Stewart home and knotting the contest at 2-2.

Arizona State responded immediately. Swan stepped to the plate in the top of the sixth and launched a solo home run to center field, reclaiming the lead at 3-2 and putting the pressure squarely back on the Texas lineup.

## Turning Point

The defining moment arrived in the bottom of the sixth. With Ashton Maloney aboard, Victoria Hunter delivered the swing of the night, sending a two-run shot over the left-field wall to flip the scoreboard from 3-2 Arizona State to 4-3 Texas. Hunter's blast accounted for the only Longhorn lead change of the evening, and Texas pitching made it stand.

Citlaly Gutierrez closed the door from the circle, working five innings of relief in which she allowed three hits and one run while striking out six. After Teagan Kavan opened the game with two innings of work, surrendering three hits and two runs, Gutierrez stabilized the staff and kept Arizona State's offense in check after Swan's sixth-inning homer.

## Star of the Game

Victoria Hunter authored the headline moment, going 1-for-1 at the plate with a run scored, two RBI, and the go-ahead home run. Her efficiency in a single at-bat tilted the outcome of the game, transforming a one-run deficit into the final margin of victory.

Gutierrez deserves co-billing for her work in the circle. The right-hander's five-inning, six-strikeout effort silenced an Arizona State lineup that had built its lead behind contributions from Swan, who finished 2-for-2 with a run, two RBI, a home run, and a walk. Stewart added a 1-for-3 line with a run scored, an RBI, and a walk, while Atwood drove in the game-tying run with her fifth-inning single.

## What It Means

For Texas, the win reinforces the program's ability to absorb early punches and respond when the lineup turns over. Falling behind 2-0 against a Pac-12 program with postseason pedigree could have unraveled into a tougher night, but the Longhorns answered with a two-run fifth and the decisive Hunter blast in the sixth. The performance from Gutierrez out of the bullpen also gives Texas a clear template for navigating tight games when the starter doesn't go deep.

Arizona State leaves Austin with plenty to build on despite the result. Swan's two-hit, two-RBI showing — capped by her solo home run — confirmed her status as the engine of the Sun Devil lineup. Ulrich's RBI double and contributions from Windle, Pond, and Chester showed the offense can manufacture runs against quality pitching. The challenge for the Sun Devils is sustaining offensive pressure across all seven innings, particularly once opposing arms settle in.

Friday's one-run margin underscored how thin the line is between these programs. Hunter's swing tipped it Texas's way at McCombs Field, sending the Longhorns home with a hard-fought 4-3 victory.

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*Original article: [SEC Softball: Texas Longhorns Defeats Arizona State Sun Devils 4-3](https://secscouts.com/news/texas-longhorns-defeat-arizona-state-sun-devils-4-3-sec-softball) — SEC Scouts*