No. 15 UCLA softball maintained all the momentum from Saturday night's six-run seventh inning, defeating ASU 9-4 on Sunday afternoon.
For the majority of the series, the Sun Devil pitching staff was unable to shut down the powerful Bruin offense. UCLA scored nine runs on 11 hits on Sunday.
Sophomore pitcher Breanna Macha began the game in the circle but was pulled almost immediately. She gave up a grand slam in the first inning, resulting in Dale Ryndak entering to clean up the inning and attempting to keep the game close.
However, UCLA was able to score a total of three runs off of Ryndak, who threw into the fifth inning. The Bruins pushed their lead to 7-3.
A new face entered the game for Ryndak in the fifth: freshman pitcher Ciera Schick, who made her collegiate debut. She was able to strike out five batters in her first appearance on the mound, but she also gave the Bruins their final two runs in the fifth and sixth inning.
The Sun Devil offense had some production, but against the big bats of the Bruins, it wasn't nearly enough. The team had four runs off ten hits and left eight runners stranded on base.
Senior center fielder Jennifer Soria was a huge contributor in this game, going 3-for-4 with a double. The Sun Devils also picked up two solo home runs in the third inning from senior catcher Katee Aguirre and junior designated player Sashel Palacios.
However, the offense wasn't able to put the team on its back as the Sun Devils fell for the 12th consecutive time and got swept for the fourth series in a row.
Reach the reporter at lmbrunet@asu.edu or follow @Leah_brunette on Twitter.
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