TEMPE ? The No. 21 Arizona State University softball team defeated Texas Tech, 3-1, in the first of a three-game non-conference series on Thursday at Farrington Stadium.
Kelsey Kessler (10-5) pitched a no-hitter in 6.0 innings of action. The junior hurler struck out four and walked two. A hit-by-pitch and an error represented the only other Red Raider base runners through the first six innings. Kessler's third strikeout of the day was her 100th of the season.?
Dale Ryndak earned her first save of the season after coming on in relief for the final inning. Ryndak allowed one earned run and two hits.
Six different ASU batters tallied at least one hit. Jenn Soria led the charge, going 2-for-3 and knocking her sixth home run of the season and her second in as many games.?
The Sun Devils (23-9) got to work early, scoring in the first inning on Soria’s solo home run.
ASU added two more in the following inning. Nichole Chilson singled up the middle, stole second and scored on a Katee Aguiree double off the wall in center field. Aguirre reached third on a wild pitch and scored on a Fa Leilua single to give the Sun Devils a 3-0 advantage and end the scoring for the night.
The Red Raiders brought in Dominique Alcocer on relief of starting pitcher Mattison Maisel in the second inning. Alcocer kept the Sun Devils scoreless through the rest of the contest.
Texas Tech scored their lone run on a solo homer from Jessica Hartwell in the seventh inning. But that would be it as the Sun Devil defense would make the 3-1 score final.
ASU is back in action tomorrow for the second game of the series at 7 p.m. PT at Farrington Stadium.