TEMPE ? The No. 17 Arizona State University softball team continued to get the job done on Saturday evening at the Littlewood Classic, taking a pair of victories over Illinois State and Northern Iowa to improve to 10-1 on the season.
Kelsey Kessler was the standout of the day as she picked up a complete game victory over Illinois State before returning for the final two innings against UNI to earn her first save of the year. The junior ultimately finished the day with 15 strikeouts, bringing her season total to a team-leading 31.
The pitching rotation continued to work its early season wonders, dropping its team ERA down to 1.34 on the season compared to a 3.73 mark last season through 11 games. Northern Iowa entered the contest on a seven-game winning streak and averaged 10 runs a game in its first three games of the Littlewood Classic before being stymied by Kessler and Breanna Macha.
Chelsea Gonzales continued to be a menace in the batter's box as she finished the day batting 3-for-5 with two walks and a home run. In the first four games of the season, Gonzales was 2-for-10 (.200) with just four RBI, one walk and no home runs.? In seven games since, the junior shortstop has gone 11-for-18 (.611) with 11 RBI, four home runs and six walks with an incredible 1.389 slugging percentage.
ASU will play its final game of the Littlewood Classic tomorrow at 1:30 p.m. MT against Montana at Farrington Stadium.
Complete recaps of today's action can be found below:
ASU 3, Northern Iowa 1
The Sun Devils took care of business against the Northern Iowa Panthers in a 3-1 victory.?
Chelsea Gonzales had another big night, going 2-for-3 with a solo home run while Abby Spiel had the big hit with a two-run triple that would prove to be the final difference in the contest.
Breanna Macha improved won her team-leading fourth game of the season, pitching five innings of shut out ball and allowing just four before ceding the final two frame to Kelsey Kessler, who earned her first save of the season.
Gonzales started things off for the Sun Devils in the first inning, hitting a solo shot left field after the Panthers showed some fancy glove work with two quick outs.
From there, it was a pitcher's duel between Macha and UNI's Alyssa Buchanan as neither pitcher gave up a run after the first inning until the Sun Devils added what would prove to be the game winning runs in the bottom of the fifth inning.
Skylar McCarty took a leadoff walk as a pinch hitter and advanced to second on a Taylor Becerra single. Jenn Soria reached on a fielder's choice as the Panthers got the lead runner out at third.
Spiel stepped up to the plate with runners on second and first and fouled the ball off about four consecutive times before she found the gap in center field as the ball rolled to the fence for her first career triple and bringing her season RBI total to seven ? notable as she had just five in her career prior to this season.?
WATCH: @abby_spiel gets on her horse for her first career triple and two game-winning RBI! https://t.co/YPwTN9SYrT
? Sun Devil Softball (@ASUSoftball) February 21, 2016
The Panthers threatened in the top of the seventh as Macey Wolfe knocked a pinch hit solo home run to center field off of Kessler. A Brittney Krodinger walk would bring the tying run to the plate but that would be it as Spiel made the final out in foul territory to end the game.
ASU 6, Illinois State 0
The No. 17 Arizona State softball team defeated the Illinois State Redbirds 6-0 in the first game of their doubleheader at Farrington Stadium.
Sashel Palacios had the big bat as a pinch hitter with a two-run home run ? her first of the season ? in the bottom of the fourth inning. Kelsey Kessler pitched a gem keeping the Redbirds scoreless and while allowing just two hits, striking out 12 and walking none.
Kessler found her groove as she earned her third win of the season. The junior pitcher shutout the Redbirds and allowed just two hits - the first of which came in the first inning. Kessler then retired the next 10 batters she faced, striking out eight of them in the process, before ISU got a tough infield single in the fifth.
When you get your 12th K and it ain't no thing. @kezlur dealing through 6. 3-0, ASU looking for insurance. https://t.co/jE4XlQnfCA
? Sun Devil Softball (@ASUSoftball) February 21, 2016
The Sun Devil hurler finished the night with 12 strikeouts and no walks for the complete game victory. It was the most strikeouts in a game since Dallas Escobedo struck out 13 against Longwood in March 2014.
Katee Aguirre started things off for the Sun Devils with a single to right after two outs and steals second. Chelsea Gonzales and Nichole Chilson both drew walks to load the bases for Nikki Girard.
Aguirre came in to score after ISU catcher Jordan de los Reyes threw to third and hit Aguirre's back on a pickoff attempt, careening into left field and allowing the senior to score.
The Devils would strike against in the fourth inning when the Sun Devils struck again after Taylor Becerra reached first on an infield single.
Despite batting just .222 this season entering the game, Robert Wagner called Palacios' number off the bench to pinch hit for Aguirre with two outs. The junior catcher responding under pressure, hitting a line drive over the right field fence ? her first of the year - to extend the lead to 3-0.
The Sun Devils struck one last time in the bottom of the sixth as the speedster Becerra hit one off the pitchers glove and beat the throw to first. Jenn Soria hit a double along the first baseline, leaving runners in scoring positon for Abby Spiel with no outs.
Spiel hit a blooper over the third baseman's head to drive in Becerra and move Soria to third where she would score from on a Palacios fielder's choice.
Nikki Girard would continue the two-out rally with a single to plate Spiel and extend ASU's lead to 6-0.