(Photo: Michael Baron/WCSN)
On a perfect evening weather-wise, ASU took its first loss of the season 3-2 at the hands of the Boston College Eagles.
Rain had forced cancellations to games on Saturday and Sunday, but the Littlewood Classic was able to resume Monday.
Juniors Breanna Macha and Boston College’s Jessica Dreswick duked it out on the mound, each pitching for the entire game.
“[Dreswick] has a really heavy ball and she hit her spots well tonight,” ASU head coach Trisha Ford said. “I think as the game wore on, you could see us starting to break through, but I just think she hit her spots very well and kept us off balance.”
Macha was dominant through five innings, but ran into some trouble in the sixth frame.
In the top of the sixth inning, junior Jordan Chimento of the Eagles singled to center field, bringing sophomore Lexi DiEmmanuele home.
The top of the seventh inning proved pivotal as Boston College tacked on two more runs courtesy of senior Madison Paulson’s RBI double down the infield line and sophomore Allyson Moore’s RBI single.
The Sun Devils had a response, courtesy of two hits, two walks, a passed ball and an ASU batter hit by a pitch.
ASU had cut the lead to 3-1 when on the final play, sophomore Skylar McCarty singled down the left field line scoring redshirt junior Marisa Stankiewicz, but a perfect one-hop throw from BC’s left fielder Annie Murphy was in time as junior Nichole Chilson was called out sliding in at home plate.
“I think tonight we would have one good at bat in an inning, and then things just didn’t go our way,” Ford said. “I was really proud of them coming back in the seventh inning…that said a lot about their fight. We just have to finish them.”
Despite only six total hits throughout the contest, one bright spot for the Sun Devils was senior shortstop Chelsea Gonzalez. Gonzalez went 3-3 on the evening and scored one of the two runs for the Maroon & Gold.
In the game, Dreswick took the win and moves to 4-1 on the season. Macha receives the loss and her record is now 2-1 for 2017.
“I think for us, it’s just about controlling the things we can control,” Ford said. “I think for us, it goes back to us having better at-bats consistently throughout the game.”
ASU now has some time to prepare for the road as the team heads for Palm Springs, California for the Mary Nutter Classic. The Sun Devils face the No. 17 Texas A&M Aggies on Friday.
When asked about what the close loss does for the hunger going into the next opponent, Ford said she thinks the loss puts the Devils in a good spot.
“We get a little bit more hungry, we get a little bit more chip on our shoulder and focus in a little bit more,” Ford said. “We’re going to go back and…Wednesday and Thursday practice pretty hard and then get after it.”
