TEMPE, Ariz. - The Arizona State softball team (29-18, 9-11) fell to the California Golden Bears, 8-3, in game two of the weekend series at Farrington Stadium Saturday afternoon.
Making her 22nd start of the year, junior Samantha Mejia escaped a jam in the top of the first with only one run allowed after giving up two singles to begin the game. The Sun Devils came to the plate looking to answer, but could not get the bats going in the home half.
Mejia would find her groove in the top of the second inning, quickly retiring the Golden Bears in order. In the bottom half, sophomore DeNae Chatman drew a walk, but was left on-base as ASU failed to record a hit through the first two innings.
Looking to keep things rolling, Mejia kept the Golden Bears off the balance again in the top of the third, keeping the Sun Devils within striking distance.
ASU would break into the hit column in the home half of the inning when senior Morgan Howe delivered a sharp line drive into centerfield following a walk to sophomore Bella Loomis.
With two on, Kindra Hackbarth stepped to the dish with the Sun Devils in position to score their first runs of the afternoon. Unfortunately, the Cal defense would draw a ground ball to the second baseman, and stifle the scoring chance.
In the top of the fourth inning, Mejia denied Cal's offensive attack again by inducing an inning-ending double play to keep the score at 1-0.
Chapman continued to show discipline at the plate in the bottom of the frame, drawing her second walk of the game in the fourth, but the Sun Devils could not string together the necessary hits to drive home the first baseman.
Unfortunately for the Sun Devil faithful, the Golden Bear offense would tack on five runs in the top of the fifth to push the score to 6-0, putting the pressure on ASU's bats to close the gap in the final three innings.
In the top of the sixth, Cal pushed their lead to 8-0 with a four-hit, two-run, frame putting ASU in a dangerous situation heading into the home half of the inning.
After the first two Sun Devils were retired, junior Jade Gortarez finally got Arizona State on the board, shooting a line drive home run over the right field fence. This would cut the lead to 8-1, but ASU could not spark a two-out rally and would head to the final inning trailing by seven.
Freshman Abby Andersen, who came in for relief in the fifth, worked a quick top of the seventh to send the Sun Devils back to the plate looking for yeat another memorable comeback.
Leading off the bottom of the seventh, Chatman notched her first hit of the day on a single through the right side. Pinch hitting for Yannira Acuna, freshman Makenna Harper drew a walk, giving ASU another late-game scoring opportunity.
Coming up with yet another clutch at-bat, sophomore Bella Loomis lined a single into centerfield to drive home Chatman and cut the Cal lead to six. This would bring up Howe, the team's leader in batting average and RBI's. Just like she has done all year, Howe drove in Harper, but was just barely out at first on what would have otherwise been an infield single.
Despite these seventh inning efforts, the Golden Bears would close out the victory with a final score of 8-3.
The Sun Devils will be back in action tomorrow afternoon for the final game of senior weekend with first pitch scheduled for 12:00 p.m. MT. Fans can follow all the action from tomorrow's game, and the remainder of the 2019 season by following @ASUSoftball on Twitter.
Making her 22nd start of the year, junior Samantha Mejia escaped a jam in the top of the first with only one run allowed after giving up two singles to begin the game. The Sun Devils came to the plate looking to answer, but could not get the bats going in the home half.
Mejia would find her groove in the top of the second inning, quickly retiring the Golden Bears in order. In the bottom half, sophomore DeNae Chatman drew a walk, but was left on-base as ASU failed to record a hit through the first two innings.
Looking to keep things rolling, Mejia kept the Golden Bears off the balance again in the top of the third, keeping the Sun Devils within striking distance.
ASU would break into the hit column in the home half of the inning when senior Morgan Howe delivered a sharp line drive into centerfield following a walk to sophomore Bella Loomis.
With two on, Kindra Hackbarth stepped to the dish with the Sun Devils in position to score their first runs of the afternoon. Unfortunately, the Cal defense would draw a ground ball to the second baseman, and stifle the scoring chance.
In the top of the fourth inning, Mejia denied Cal's offensive attack again by inducing an inning-ending double play to keep the score at 1-0.
Chapman continued to show discipline at the plate in the bottom of the frame, drawing her second walk of the game in the fourth, but the Sun Devils could not string together the necessary hits to drive home the first baseman.
Unfortunately for the Sun Devil faithful, the Golden Bear offense would tack on five runs in the top of the fifth to push the score to 6-0, putting the pressure on ASU's bats to close the gap in the final three innings.
In the top of the sixth, Cal pushed their lead to 8-0 with a four-hit, two-run, frame putting ASU in a dangerous situation heading into the home half of the inning.
After the first two Sun Devils were retired, junior Jade Gortarez finally got Arizona State on the board, shooting a line drive home run over the right field fence. This would cut the lead to 8-1, but ASU could not spark a two-out rally and would head to the final inning trailing by seven.
Freshman Abby Andersen, who came in for relief in the fifth, worked a quick top of the seventh to send the Sun Devils back to the plate looking for yeat another memorable comeback.
Leading off the bottom of the seventh, Chatman notched her first hit of the day on a single through the right side. Pinch hitting for Yannira Acuna, freshman Makenna Harper drew a walk, giving ASU another late-game scoring opportunity.
Coming up with yet another clutch at-bat, sophomore Bella Loomis lined a single into centerfield to drive home Chatman and cut the Cal lead to six. This would bring up Howe, the team's leader in batting average and RBI's. Just like she has done all year, Howe drove in Harper, but was just barely out at first on what would have otherwise been an infield single.
Despite these seventh inning efforts, the Golden Bears would close out the victory with a final score of 8-3.
The Sun Devils will be back in action tomorrow afternoon for the final game of senior weekend with first pitch scheduled for 12:00 p.m. MT. Fans can follow all the action from tomorrow's game, and the remainder of the 2019 season by following @ASUSoftball on Twitter.