TEMPE, Ariz. -- The No. 22 Arizona State softball team, battled, but fell short in the final game of the three-game series against the California Golden Bears, 3-0, Sunday afternoon at Farrington Stadium.
Freshman Giselle Juarez took the circle for her 11th start in 2017 for the Sun Devils in game three and threw a tight game through six, before Breanna Macha took over for the final frame. The duo held the Bears to just three hits, but three late runs would prove the decider in the Sunday finale.
Pitching dominated the first five innings of the game, as both defenses kept the teams scoreless heading to the sixth inning. Juarez held the Bears hitless through the first five innings, but a wild pitch in the sixth provided the game's first run. In the top half of the seventh, Cal added two more runs off of a home run that gave the visitors a three-run lead heading into the bottom of the seventh.
With the Sun Devils unable to plate a run in the seventh, the Bears avoided their third sweep at the hands of the Sun Devils in the last five meeting.
The Sun Devil offense was held to just one hit in game three, ending what was an incredible stretch of games for the Sun Devils at the plate. Sophomore, Fa Leilua led the Sun Devils on offense, going three-for-seven with two home runs and eight RBI on the weekend.
ASU's pitching staff, despite the Sunday loss, also enjoyed a stellar weekend. In the three games against Cal, the staff allowed just 10 runs, seven earned, on just 14 hits. The staff also limited the Golden Bears to just four walks in the three-game set.
ASU will be back in action next weekend for the final three games of the 2017 regular season, playing host to the 12th- ranked UCLA Bruins. Game one of the weekend series is slated for a 6 p.m. start Thursday afternoon. Fans can follow all of the action from the 2017 Sun Devil season by following @ASUSoftball on Twitter.
Freshman Giselle Juarez took the circle for her 11th start in 2017 for the Sun Devils in game three and threw a tight game through six, before Breanna Macha took over for the final frame. The duo held the Bears to just three hits, but three late runs would prove the decider in the Sunday finale.
Pitching dominated the first five innings of the game, as both defenses kept the teams scoreless heading to the sixth inning. Juarez held the Bears hitless through the first five innings, but a wild pitch in the sixth provided the game's first run. In the top half of the seventh, Cal added two more runs off of a home run that gave the visitors a three-run lead heading into the bottom of the seventh.
With the Sun Devils unable to plate a run in the seventh, the Bears avoided their third sweep at the hands of the Sun Devils in the last five meeting.
The Sun Devil offense was held to just one hit in game three, ending what was an incredible stretch of games for the Sun Devils at the plate. Sophomore, Fa Leilua led the Sun Devils on offense, going three-for-seven with two home runs and eight RBI on the weekend.
ASU's pitching staff, despite the Sunday loss, also enjoyed a stellar weekend. In the three games against Cal, the staff allowed just 10 runs, seven earned, on just 14 hits. The staff also limited the Golden Bears to just four walks in the three-game set.
ASU will be back in action next weekend for the final three games of the 2017 regular season, playing host to the 12th- ranked UCLA Bruins. Game one of the weekend series is slated for a 6 p.m. start Thursday afternoon. Fans can follow all of the action from the 2017 Sun Devil season by following @ASUSoftball on Twitter.