ASU Softball: Kessler shines, but the bats couldn’t keep up

(Photo: Elaine Wilson/WCSN)

The No. 21 Arizona State Sun Devils fell to the No. 18 University of Arizona Wildcats by a score of 2-0 to open up Pac-12 play.

With the two starting pitchers having a combined ERA of 1.91, this game had all the makings of a true pitchers duel and it lived up to the hype.

The first baserunner for either team was freshman Fa Leilua, who reached on a walk. Senior Breona Peralta came in as a pinch runner and promptly stole second. However she’d be stranded after Wildcat starter Danielle O’Toole recorded two quick outs to keep the game scoreless.

Junior Kelsey Kessler got the start in the circle for the Sun Devils and got her first taste of Pac-12 play.

“I was talking with my teammates earlier when I was in the locker room getting ready (about) how cool my 13-year-old self would think this is,” Kessler said. “For me to start a game against U of A, win or lose, it’s cool.”

After being perfect through three and a third innings, Kessler gave up her first hit on the evening on a one out single by Eva Watson. Watson would quickly be erased as senior catcher Katee Aguirre gunned her down trying to steal second.

One more runner would reach base in the inning but Kessler got out of the inning unscathed keeping the game at 0-0.

Through four innings only one hit had been allowed for either team. The Sun Devils nearly drew first blood in the bottom of the fifth as Aguirre came within a couple feet of a solo home run. Her long flyout would be the last out of the fifth for ASU, still being no-hit by O’Toole.

Arizona got a runner in scoring position for the first time in the game in its half of the sixth. Co-interim head coach Letty Olivarez went out for a mound visit with two outs and a full count to make sure her and her pitcher were on the same page.

Although she would lose the batter, Kessler responded by getting shortstop Mo Mercado, to fly out to left field ending the threat.

The Sun Devils finally got into the hit column in the bottom of the sixth as pinch hitter Margaret Stahm roped a single into left center field.

With two outs in the inning senior Jennifer Soria stepped up to the plate with two on. She proceeded to drive a line drive up the middle which was speared by O’Toole in the circle, ending the inning.

While out felt particularly deflating, co interim head coach Robert Wagner felt as though that wasn’t the determining factor in the game.

“It shouldn’t come to that,” Wagner said. “At that point we had one hit. If you do your job throughout the game you’re not looking for luck.”

With two outs in the top of the seventh, the Wildcats pushed the first runs of the game across on a two run home run off the bat of Joelle Krist.

The Sun Devils would go quietly in the bottom of the 7th as O’Toole finished with a complete game shutout.

ASU only put a runner in scoring position twice all game. Stahm, who had the only hit of the game, stressed how important having a short memory is in Pac-12 play.

“We gotta come out tomorrow and on Sunday and just erase what happened today,” Stahm said. “I think we can use it as fuel because we want to beat them.”

The loss drops ASU to 21-8 on the year. The Sun Devils will look to bounce back tomorrow as game two of this series is set for 3:30 p.m.

 

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