Tucson, Ariz. -- The 23rd- ranked Arizona state softball team fell, 4-3, to the third-ranked University of Arizona in the first game of the three-game series against the Wildcats at Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium.
The Sun Devils received a complete game from starting pitcher, Breanna Macha, who threw six innings giving up just six hits and two earned runs to the Wildcat's potent offense.
Arizona jumped out to an early two run lead in the bottom of the first, aided in large part by a pair of Sun Devil errors.
The lead would not stand for long, however, as ASU would answer in the very next half inning. Senior shortstop, Chelsea Gonzales, led things off in the top of the second with a walk, and was quickly moved over by a single from Fa Leilua.
Second baseman Marisa Stankiewicz followed the single with a one hopper to second, but reached on a throwing error that scored the Sun Devils' first run. A sacrifice fly from freshman Emma Ramelot would score Leilua, but crafty pitching would end the inning with the score knotted at 2-2.
After a scoreless third from the Wildcats, the Sun Devils took the lead for the first time in the game with an RBI single from Gonzales that scored Becerra, making it a 3-2 Sun Devil lead heading to the home-half of the frame.
The Wildcats would add a run of their own to tie things up in the bottom of the inning, before a two-our RBI double in the fifth would give the Wildcats their second lead of the game, 4-3.
With neither team able to plate a run in the sixth, the Wildcat defense buckled down in the top of the seventh to seal the Arizona victory in game one of the three-game set.
The Sun Devils will be back in action for game two against the Wildcats tomorrow afternoon. first pitch for Saturday's contest is scheduled for 6 p.m. and will be televised on the Pac-12 network, with Kate Scott and Teri Goldberg on the call. Fans can follow all of the action from the 2017 Sun Devil softball season by following @ASUSoftball on Twitter.
The Sun Devils received a complete game from starting pitcher, Breanna Macha, who threw six innings giving up just six hits and two earned runs to the Wildcat's potent offense.
Arizona jumped out to an early two run lead in the bottom of the first, aided in large part by a pair of Sun Devil errors.
The lead would not stand for long, however, as ASU would answer in the very next half inning. Senior shortstop, Chelsea Gonzales, led things off in the top of the second with a walk, and was quickly moved over by a single from Fa Leilua.
Second baseman Marisa Stankiewicz followed the single with a one hopper to second, but reached on a throwing error that scored the Sun Devils' first run. A sacrifice fly from freshman Emma Ramelot would score Leilua, but crafty pitching would end the inning with the score knotted at 2-2.
After a scoreless third from the Wildcats, the Sun Devils took the lead for the first time in the game with an RBI single from Gonzales that scored Becerra, making it a 3-2 Sun Devil lead heading to the home-half of the frame.
The Wildcats would add a run of their own to tie things up in the bottom of the inning, before a two-our RBI double in the fifth would give the Wildcats their second lead of the game, 4-3.
With neither team able to plate a run in the sixth, the Wildcat defense buckled down in the top of the seventh to seal the Arizona victory in game one of the three-game set.
The Sun Devils will be back in action for game two against the Wildcats tomorrow afternoon. first pitch for Saturday's contest is scheduled for 6 p.m. and will be televised on the Pac-12 network, with Kate Scott and Teri Goldberg on the call. Fans can follow all of the action from the 2017 Sun Devil softball season by following @ASUSoftball on Twitter.