TEMPE ? The No. 21 Arizona State softball team fell to No. 18 Arizona, 2-0, in the first Pac-12 game of the season on Friday at Farrington Stadium.
In a game more attuned to 1990’s softball and the dominant pitching that encapsulated the era, Kelsey Kessler and Arizona’s Danielle O’Toole went head-to-head in a epic pitching duel that ended with neither allowing a single earned run.
Kessler (8-5) unfortunately came out on the unlucky end of things as Joelle Krist’s two-out, two-run home run in the top of the seventh proved to be the difference in a inning that should have ended on the previous at-bat if not for an untimely infield error.
The junior hurler pitched the complete game, allowing three hits, no earned runs and striking out five Wildcats. Kessler has now been the unfortunate recipient of three losses this season in which she allowed one or fewer earned runs in regulation.
ASU’s offense struggled at the plate as their lone hit came in the sixth inning off a Margaret Stahm’s pinch hit single. Brynley Steele came in to pinch run and took second on a ground out before Abby Spiel drew a two-out walk.
Jenn Soria stepped to the plate and screamed one at O’Toole, who ducked and stuck her glove up and miraculously made the stab to end the Sun Devil threat.
Arizona State and Arizona will play game two of the three-game series tomorrow at 3:30 p.m. Arizona time at Farrington Stadium.?