Facing No. 5 Oregon wasn't a pleasing proposition for ASU softball, who held a six-game losing streak coming into the game.
A 10-4 loss later, the Sun Devils fell for the seventh time in a row. They've been in a ditch, finding themselves in this losing streak after being swept by Washington and Utah.
In recent games, they've lacked aggression. At the start of the game, the team was able to push hard. However, the aggression slowly faded.
With the Ducks ranked number one in the Pac-12, this game looked to be a tough battle for the Sun Devils.
Sophomore pitcher Dale Ryndak (8-3) pitched for the first four innings. She had a strong start, pitching comfortably due to support from her offense.
The Sun Devils put two runs on the board in the second inning after senior catcher Katee Aguirre got her fifth home run on the season. She noted how important it was for the team to get on the board first.
"We just wanted to set that energy and set that tone so they know that we were coming out fighting," Aguirre said.
This lead didn’t last long, though. Oregon responded right back in the third inning with a two-run shot to tie the game at two.
The bottom of fourth inning posed some action for ASU as the team produced hits and loaded the bases with no outs. However, the offense wasn't able to take advantage of the situation and didn't score a single run.
Throughout the game, the Sun Devils left eight total runners on base.
Oregon came alive in the fifth inning, scoring five runs to take the lead. Ryndak's strong start faded away and she was unable to shut down the Ducks.
"They have good hitter after good hitter, you cannot take a break on any girl in the lineup," she said. "I could have made some better pitches when I found myself in a bad situation, but for the most part I think I performed okay."
With runners on first and second, a single to center knocked home a run for Oregon. In an attempt to get the runner out a third, senior center fielder Jennifer Soria sent a wild throw to the bag. The ball sailed and flew into the dugout, allowing another runner to advance home. The Ducks took a 5-2 lead.
Sophomore pitcher Breanna Macha (6-5) came in to relieve Ryndak in the middle of the fifth inning.
She couldn't do any better, giving up another four runs in three innings pitched.
But the offense was somewhat able to capitalize and rally off of Oregon struggles in the circle. Soria hit a two-run home run in the fifth inning, which helped chip away at the Ducks' lead, cutting the deficit to 7-4.
However, the Ducks padded on some insurance in the seventh, hitting a three-run home run to take a 10-4 lead. The Sun Devils would not score again.
Co-interim head coach Letty Olivarez spoke on the pitchers' ups and downs after the game.
"We just need to focus on not taking any breaks on any girl in the lineup." Olivarez said. "I think that's when the pitchers get caught up because they're trying to throw every pitch perfectly."
Reach the reporter at lmbrunet@asu.edu or follow @Leah_brunette on Twitter.
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