Trailing 2-1 with the bases loaded in the third inning, senior second baseman Nikki Girard stepped to the plate.
Senior center fielder Jennifer Soria had started the momentum in the inning with lead off single. Freshman third baseman Taylor Becerra followed with a nicely laid down bunt. Junior shortstop Chelsea Gonzales, who already had a home run on the day and her second of the series, was intentionally walked.
"It set a little fire inside me, seeing Chelsea get walked," Girard said. "I was pumped to be up there and help the team in any way I could."
She took advantage of the full bases and got a piece of the ball. It was sent flying over the outfield wall for a grand slam, the first for the Sun Devils this season. They took a 5-2 lead and didn't look back, winning game three of the series in a 7-3 and getting the sweep against Texas Tech.
Offense played a huge factor in the ASU victory. The team scored five in the third inning after Texas Tech had taken a 2-1 lead in the top half of it.
Sophomore right fielder Nichole Chilson kept the rally going with a double to the outfield, forcing the Red Raiders to make their second pitching change of the inning.
It wasn't as effective as the team hoped, as ASU junior catcher Sashel Palacios hit an RBI single to increase the Sun Devils' lead to 6-2.
Sophomore pitcher Dale Ryndak started the game off in the circle, but redshirt junior pitcher Kelsey Kessler made her third appearance in the circle this weekend in the fourth inning. Co-interim head coach Letty Olivarez wanted Kessler to have one last good outing against the Red Raiders.
"Kessler had prepared before the game knowing she was going to pitch again," Olivarez said. "She payed attention to their bodies and adjusted, either throwing an inch off the plate or really squeezing the ball inside."
This win increased Kessler's record to 12-5. Kessler notes that she had more focus going into this game than any other game this series.
"I really had to be focused this game, since they had already seen me multiple times," Kessler said. "But its 50/50, they've seen us just as many times as we've seen them, so we knew what to expect."
Reach the reporter at lmbrunet@asu.edu or follow @Leah_brunette on Twitter.
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