TEMPE ? The No. 17 Arizona State University softball team took two games on the opening day of the 12th Annual Littlewood Classic on Friday in Tempe, Ariz.
Despite a nearly two hour delay, ASU came out and took care of business against Michigan State in a 5-3 decision before laying it on Memphis in five innings, 11-1.
Chelsea Gonzales continued her recent tear, going 2-for-4 with a home run, two RBI and two walks to pace the Sun Devil offense alongside Katee Aguirre, who finished the day 3-for-7 with five RBI and three doubles.
All thee Sun Devil pitchers got in on the action with Kelsey Kessler taking the win against Michigan State to improve to 2-0 while Breanna Macha earned her first save of the season. Dale Ryndak came out for the night came and pitched five complete innings with no earned runs allowed to improve to 3-0 on the year.
The Devils and crowd on hand weathered a two hour delay and received a rousing speech from the tournament's namesake, Mary Littlewood, prior to her throwing out the first pitch.
ASU returns to action tomorrow for the second day of the tournament and will take on Illinois State at 6 p.m. MT followed by Northern Iowa to close things out at 8:15 p.m.
Complete recaps of today's action can be found below:
ASU 11, Memphis 3 (5)
ASU defeated the University of Memphis Tigers, 11-3, at Farrington Stadium in their fifth run-rule victory of the season to cap off the first day of the competition.
ASU's offense lit up the Tigers' pitching, scoring nine runs in the first inning. All but five Sun Devil position players had an at bat as Katee Aguirre led the way with the hot bat going 2-for-4 with two doubles and five RBI.
Jenn Soria and Abby Spiel started the first inning drawing walks to bring up Aguirre with no outs. Both runners advanced into scoring position after a throw from Memphis catcher Brittany Seale found its way into center field and Aguirre found the gap between right and center field as the ball rolled to the wall, bringing everyone in for a 2-0 ASU lead.
Nikki Girard stepped up to the plate after two outs and brought Aguirre home from third to add one more to extend the lead to 3-0.
After Fa Leilua was hit by a pitch, Girard advanced to second and both players moved into scoring position on a wild pitch. Melissa Eisen walked to load the bases for Skylar McCarty with two outs.
McCarty hit one up the middle for a double to score Girard and Leilua ? her first collegiate RBI - bringing Soria back up to bat as the Sun Devil hit around the order. Soria drew another walk and the bases were loaded again, this time for Spiel as the Tigers changed pitchers.
Spiel singled to shallow left, driving in Eisen for a 5-0 ASU lead. Aguirre stepped up and hit another double, this time to the gap in left field as the ball again rolled to the wall, clearing the bases and giving ASU a commanding 9-0 lead.
The Tigers would get three unearned runs in the top of the third but ASU would immediately respond in their half of the inning.
Allie Butterfield came in to pinch hit for Soria and singled to left field. Spiel reached on a fielder's choice and Aguirre flew out to left for the second out of the inning. Gonzales singled to third and ended up at second to be lifted for pinch runner Marissa Stankiewicz.
Nichole Chilson found the gap in right center to drive in Spiel and Stankiewicz, extending the lead to 11-3 in favor of ASU and that's where the score would sit for the remainder of the contest.
Dale Ryndak earned her third win of the season after striking out four and allowing just three hits with no earned runs charged against her.
ASU 5, Michigan State 2
The Sun Devils took down the Michigan State Spartans, 5-2, in their first game of a doubleheader to start off the Littlewood Classic at Farrington Stadium.
The Sun Devils started off hot with two big homers from Chelsea Gonzales and Nikki Girard. Gonzales hit a two-run homer in the first inning - her third of the season to lead the team - while Girard hit a three-run homer that would prove to be the difference in the third.
Gonzales stepped up to bat in the first inning with two outs and smashed one over the left field wall to give ASU the 2-0 lead. It was her third home run in the last four games and the 22nd homer of her career.
The Spartans got one back the following inning on a solo home run from Sarah Gutknecht to cut the Sun Devils' lead 2-1.
But, Aguirre would get the Sun Devils going again with one in the bottom of the third inning with a double to the gap in center field and Gonzales followed with a walk.
Again with two outs, Girard came to the plate and hit a three-run home run over the left field fence to give ASU a 5-1 lead.
Ms. @nikki_girard decided not to continue her climb up ASUs career doubles list today. Instead she just hit dingers. https://t.co/DkxMtgcqSK
? Sun Devil Softball (@ASUSoftball) February 20, 2016
Michigan State struck back in the top of the fourth as Lea Foerster singled to center field to start things off. Gutknecht singled along the third base line as Spiel could not reach it in time.
Lindsey Besson's hit found the gap between left and center field and the ball rolled to the wall. Spiel would hit the cutoff man in Gonzales who gunned down the second runner in Gutknecht at home, leaving Besson at second and only one run crossing the plate, cutting ASU's lead to 5-2. Celeste Wood ended the fourth inning with a pop out to second base.
Kelsey Kessler started in the circle for ASU and earned her second win of the season. Kessler brought the heat early on, striking out the first three Spartans she faced. She left the game in the fifth inning after six strikeouts, no walks, four hits and two runs allowed.
Breanna Macha pitched three innings of relief, allowed just one hit and struck out two to pick up her first save of the season.