April 12, 2013
TEMPE, Ariz. - In just their fifth loss of the season, Arizona State softball (36-5, 7-3 Pac-12) fell to No. 14 Washington (32-10, 10-3) by a score of 3-1 on Friday night. The Sun Devils continue the series at 7 p.m. PT on ESPN2 Saturday night.
Starter Mackenzie Popescue (16-1) garnered her first loss of the season after pitching 6.1 innings and striking out three. Washington's Kaitlin Inglesby (17-4) picked up the win after going the distance and fanning six.
Washington had an early 1-0 lead in the second but ASU was able to tie it 1-1 by the third. Husky runs in the sixth and seventh put the Sun Devils behind and they were unable to come back, eventually falling 3-1 in ASU's lowest scoring game of the season. Amber Freeman and Sam Parlich finished a team-best 2-for-3 at the plate.
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Washington was first to get on the board, bringing in one run in the top of the second after back-to-back two-out doubles scored Kylee Lahners by Shawna Wright's double bagger to right center.
Amber Freeman then tied it 1-1 in the bottom of the third. Following Cheyenne Coyle's double to left, Freeman singled up the middle to bring in the shortstop, ASU's first run despite leading UW on hits six to two.
Mackenzie Popescue's effort in the circle was key to keeping the Huskies from scoring in the top of the fourth when UW moved runners around to second and third base. The ace registered her third strikeout of the game for out number two and had solid defense behind her with Bailey Wigness diving in right center for a layout third-out catch.
The Huskies regained the lead, 2-1, in the sixth after a lead-off double by Missy Taukeiaho. A late throw by ASU allowed Taukeiaho to advance to third with Kaitlin Inglesby reaching via fielder's choice. A second fielder's choice to Hooch Fagaly on a play to second yielded a run and the lead for UW. Stretching their edge to 3-1, Washington took advantage of an ASU infield miscue in the seventh to bring in another run, unearned.
Through three full innings and 12 batters, Arizona State was unable to put a runner on base as Inglesby and the UW defense fanned through the Sun Devils until Bethany Kemp singled to left on one out in the bottom of the seventh. She was able to move around on a single by Sam Parlich and a fielder's choice to pinch hitter Lucy Aubrecht. The Sun Devils were not able to bring in a run in the final frame, falling for just the fifth time this season, 3-1.
NOTES
ASU's one run against No. 14 Washington is the lowest score for the Sun Devils this season.
ASU's 12-game home run streak has ended with the loss to Washington on Friday. The streak lasted from March 15 to April 7, with a total of 21 home runs scored in that time frame.
[TV GAME] Are you on the go on Saturday? @thesundevils play @uwsoftball at 7 p.m. PT on @espnu 2 watch online es.pn/sball-UWvsASU-... @pac12
-- ASU Softball (@ASUSoftball) April 10, 2013
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