Washington ace Kaitlin Inglesby threw a complete game seven hitter, baffling No. 2 Arizona State all evening, as the 14th ranked Huskies picked up a 3-1 win at Farrington Stadium.
Starting in the third inning, Inglesby retired 12 Sun Devils in a row before a Bethany Kemp single in the seventh.
“She made us chase the pitches she wanted,” ASU head coach Clint Myers said. “[We] take our hat off to her.”
The Sun Devils gave Mackenzie Popescue the start, and she pitched 6.1 innings allowing three runs on five hits, while striking out three.
“I love pitchers duels,” Popescue said. “I expected a good game and I did what I could.”
The story of the game however was Arizona State’s inability to get the big hit. In the first three innings, the Sun Devils left four runners stranded, but only had three players reach second base all night.
“They have to be able to hit with runners in scoring position,” Myers said
In the sixth, Washington took the lead for good thanks to a leadoff double by Missy Taukeiaho that was followed up by two fielder’s choices, which extended the lead to 2-1. The Huskies added another run in the seventh after a fielding error by Bailey Wigness in left field.
The Sun Devils will look to even up the series in game two, scheduled for 7 p.m. Saturday night.
Game Notes:
– Center fielder Alix Johnson is still suspended for unspecified reasons and was replaced in the lineup by Becca Tikey.
– Kaitlin Inglesby, along with Arizona State’s Amber Freeman, are two of 25 finalists for the USA Softball Player of the Year.
