TEMPE – The No. 20 Arizona State softball team battled through a two-and-a-half hour delay before its series finale with No. 12 Washington, but unfortunately came out on the wrong end of a tough 12-9 decision in an action-packed contest.
Sashel Palacios belted two home runs with three RBIs while Chelsea Gonzales went a perfect 3-for-3 with a home run, a double and five RBIs.
Kelsey Kessler started in the circle and tossed six innings. The redshirt junior allowed eight earned runs on six hits and struck out seven. Dale Ryndak entered to pitch the final inning, giving up three earned runs on three hits, for her second loss of the season.
Torrential rain in the Tempe area delayed the start of the schedule 3 p.m. game until 5:30 p.m. as field crews and event staff worked diligently to get the field into playing condition.
After a scoreless first inning the Huskies struck first with a two-run home run from Taylor Van Zee.
The Sun Devils (27-13, 3-6 Pac-12) responded in the bottom frame as Palacios made it a one-run game with one swing as she lifted her third homer of the year. Gonzales followed with a hit by pitch before reaching third base on a Margaret Stahm single. Both runners advanced on a wild pitch to tie the game at 2-2.
ASU took its first lead of the series after Katee Aguirre reached on an error and Palacios went yard for the second time in the game, giving the Devils a 4-2 lead after three innings.
The Sun Devils added another pair of runs in the fourth after loading the bases as Gonzales ripped a two-run double to center field to extend the lead to 6-2.
UW responded with five runs into the top of the fifth, however - highlighted by Taylor Van Zee’s second homer of the night - to take the lead. They added two more in the top of the sixth to extend the lead 9-6.
The Sun Devils didn’t bow down, as Nikki Girard hit a double and Aguirre singled. Gonzales stepped up with two outs and knocked a monster dinger to tie the game at nine runs apiece.
The Huskies scored three more runs in the seventh, two coming off a Kimberlee Souza homer and ASU was unable to respond in its half of the inning as the Huskies held on for the victory.
Arizona State will travel to Salt Lake City, Utah to take on the Utah Utes in a crucial three-game Pac-12 series beginning Saturday, April 16.