It's all up from here for the Sun Devils.
In game one of three against the Oregon State Beavers (24-17, 5-11 Pac-12), No. 21 ASU softball (27-16, 5-7 Pac-12) fell 7-6 in a game that can only be described as a disappointment.
Freshman Breanna Macha took the circle for the Sun Devils, pitching six innings and giving up five runs before being relieved by fellow freshman Dale Ryndak, who blew the save.
In the top of the second inning, Oregon State gave ASU a scare by scoring four quick runs to take a 4-0 advantage.
The runs scored for the Beavers came off of an RBI single by junior Mikela Manewa, a fielder's choice that brought home freshman Lovie Lopez, and a two-RBI single by junior Sammi Noland.
ASU head coach Craig Nicholson said that consistency of pitching will be key if the Sun Devils want to get back on the winning track.
"The mental approach (to pitching) has got to be better," Nicholson said. "We've (also) got to do a better job of hitting our spots."
The bottom of the inning told a similar story for the Sun Devils, who mustered four runs of their own to tie things back up.
The ASU scores came in far more explosive fashion, however, as senior outfielder Sierra Rodriguez crushed a solo shot to center and senior catcher Amber Freeman hit a three-run homer of her own.
In the bottom of the fifth, the home run party continued for the Sun Devils as senior first baseman Bethany Kemp stepped up to the plate and sent a two-run home run to left center, giving ASU a 6-4 lead over the Beavers. The vital home run was Kemp's 12th of the season.
Oregon State would answer with a homer of its own in the top of the sixth, this one coming off the bat of senior CJ Chirichigno to bring the Beavers within a margin of 6-5.
Ryndak entered in the seventh looking to notch the save, and she decidedly failed to do so. After a strikeout and a single by the Beavers, Ryndak surrendered a two-run home run to senior Dani Gilmore, OSU's best batter. As the ball squeaked over the left field fence, the Beavers squeaked past ASU to take a 7-6 lead.
With a chance to rally in the bottom of the seventh, the Sun Devils got a double from senior third baseman Haley Steele before Kemp and junior second baseman Nikki Girard went down in order to end the affair in disappointing fashion.
Nicholson evaluated the crushing loss as a whole.
"I felt like we didn't take advantage of what they were giving us enough," Nicholson said. "We did enough to have a 6-4 lead after five innings, but we've gotta close that out."
Freeman echoed Nicholson's cries for consistency, and is ready to move on from what is the lowest point of the Sun Devils' season.
"This is the first time (a four-game losing streak) has happened since I've been here," Freeman said. "Everyone is just going to come back, clear their minds, and have a better game tomorrow."
Saturday's game will begin at 7 p.m. at Farrington Stadium, and will be the annual breast cancer awareness "Pink Game" in which the Sun Devils wear alternate pink uniforms and raise money for the cause. Game three is scheduled for Sunday at 12 p.m.
Reach the reporter at rclarke6@asu.edu or follow @RClarkeASU on Twitter.
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