TUCSON -- The No. 21/21 Arizona State University softball team gave up four home runs and dropped the final game of the series against No. 14/14 Arizona, 11-1, in five innings.
With the series and Territorial Cup point already clinched in favor of the Sun Devils (24-11, 5-3 Pac-12), ASU struggled to take advantage of scoring opportunities against the Wildcats (28-9, 3-3 Pac-12) in the third and final game of the weekend on Sunday in Tucson.
ASU won a series in Tucson for just the third time since 1982, having only done so previously in 2011 and 1990, the latter of which came when Pac-12 series’ consisted of two home games and a road game or vice versa and ASU took both games in Tucson.
ASU stranded the bases loaded three times in the first five innings in Sunday's contest and went 0-for-5 on the day with the bases juiced. The Devils stranded 12 runners over five innings.
On the flip side, the Wildcats took advantage of three infield errors by ASU and added four home runs to their weekend tally – the final coming on a three-run shot off the bat of Katiyana Mauga to effectively walk-off the game and force the run rule in the bottom of the fifth.
Bethany Kemp went 2-for-3 on the day to pace the Sun Devils while the team on a whole drew five walks. However, ASU couldn’t do much to bring runners across outside an RBI single by Sashel Palacios in the top of the fifth to help ASU avoid the shutout.
Breanna Macha took the loss for ASU, falling to 11-6 on the season, allowing eight runs – only five earned – on seven hits with five strikeouts and four walks.
The Devils will technically have the next weekend off before heading on the road for back-to-back doubleheaders against New Mexico State and UTEP beginning Monday, April 6 in Las Cruces, N.M. and continuing Tuesday, April 7 in El Paso, Texas.