TEMPE ? The No. 21 Arizona State softball team used timely hitting to cruise to a 7-3 victory against Texas Tech in the series finale on Saturday at Farrington Stadium. With the decision, the Sun Devils completed the series sweep and improved to 25-9 overall.
Nikki Girard belted out the team’s first grand slam of the season and Chelsea Gonzales went 2-for-2 with her 10th home run of the season and the second in as many games.
Junior RHP Kelsey Kessler (12-5) earned the win after entering on relief in the third inning. Kessler gave up two hits, one earned run, while walking one batter and striking out four in four innings of work. Dale Ryndak started in the circle and tossed three innings, allowing five hits, two earned runs and struck out one Red Raider.
For the 22nd time this season, the Sun Devils took the game’s first lead, scoring one run in the first inning. ASU is now 21-1 this season when scoring first. Gonzales smashed a solo homer to the scoreboard in left field for her 29th career dinger, moving into sole possession of 15th all-time at Arizona State.
The Red Raiders responded with a solo run in two consecutive innings to take the lead. The first came on a solo home run from Karli Hamilton in the second. The Red Raiders started the third inning with a pair of singles from Brooke Scott and Jordan Bettiol, before a sac bunt advanced both runners into scoring positon. Kierra Miles singled to score Scott for a 2-1 TTU lead.
ASU responded with an explosive bottom frame. Jenn Soria and Taylor Becerra singled to start the Sun Devils off, a double steal put the runners in scoring positon, and left first base open for Gonzales to be intentionally walked.
Girard stepped to the plate with bases loaded and hit a grand slam on the very first pitch she saw ? her fifth home run of the season ? to give the Sun Devils the lead. ASU added one more run in the inning after Nichole Chilson doubled and scored on a Sashel Palacios base hit to put the Sun Devils on top 6-2.
NIKKI WITH THE GRAND SLAM 😍 @nikki_girard @ASUSoftball pic.twitter.com/HR05dZJk39
? Lexie? (@lex_marr) March 26, 2016
The Maroon and Gold plated another run in the fourth as Abby Spiel and Becerra singled before Gonzales found the gap between three Red Raiders in the outfield to score Spiel.
TTU scored a lone run in the top of the sixth as Kierra Miles walked and scored on a Brittany Warnecke double, but Kessler and ASU’s defense held the 7-3 score through the remainder of the game.
Arizona State will travel to Berkeley, Calif., to take on California in a three-game series, as they return to Pac-12 play for the team’s first road series of the year.?