After dropping its third straight game on Saturday, No. 21 ASU softball turned to ace pitcher junior Dale Ryndak in hopes of salvaging at least one game against No. 3 Oregon.
The Ducks countered with their No. 2 starter, sophomore Megan Kleist, who headed into Saturday’s action with eight complete games in 13 starts.
A pitchers duel ensued, and despite an admiral performance from Ryndak, the Sun Devils fell in extras to the Ducks, 1-0 in Eugene, Oregon.
It was the fourth extra innings contest for ASU, which suffered the three-game sweep at the hands of Oregon.
In the bottom of the eighth, the Ducks put runners on first and second with no outs and sent freshman infielder Mia Camuso to the dish. Camuso, hitting .398 on the year, took full advantage of her opportunity, lacing a single up the middle to give the Ducks the only run of the ballgame.
HIGHLIGHT | Mia Camuso delivers a walk-off single to score Haley Cruse and give the Ducks a 1-0 win! #GoDucks https://t.co/FnfA3WlIBb
— Oregon Duck Softball (@OregonSB) April 2, 2017
The Sun Devils had plenty of opportunities throughout the game, perhaps the best of which coming in the top of the fifth inning. The Sun Devils loaded the bases with two outs on a hit, a walk and an error.
Yet, ASU was unable to capitalize as sophomore outfielder Skylar McCarty popped out to end the threat.
Ryndak did her part to keep the game scoreless for ASU. She held the Ducks without a hit from the second inning until the sixth, when freshman infielder Shannon Rhodes broke the pitcher's groove with a two-out single.
In the bottom of the seventh, Oregon senior outfielder Sammie Puentes bunted out to the first baseball ,but was injured and had to leave the game on a collision that occurred at first base. Puentes had a .455 average for the Ducks and it is unknown how long she will be out.
ASU will now try to regroup with a sizable break until its next set of games. The Sun Devils hit the road once again on April 13 for a three-game series with Stanford in California.
Reach the reporter at jzaklis@gmail.com and follow @JoshZaklis on Twitter.
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