TEMPE, Ariz. -- The Arizona State softball team won its regular-season-ending series but came up short in the finale, losing 4-2 to Oregon (46-9, 19-5 Pac-12) on Saturday.
The Sun Devils now await their selection into the NCAA tournament with a 45-10 overall record and a 16-8 mark in the Pac-12. The selection show is Sunday at 7 p.m.
Oregon took control early by scoring in three consecutive innings before ASU looked to change the momentum with two runs in the fifth, cutting the deficit to 4-2. Changes in the circle for both teams occurred in the latter portion of the game, and neither team was able to get its offense going afterward.
Mackenzie Popescue (19-6) got the start for ASU and pitched four complete innings with four strikeouts before being pulled in the fifth. Dallas Escobedo closed out the game and also had four strikeouts. Popescue would go down as the pitcher of record, taking the loss, while Oregon's Jessica Moore (25-4) got the win with six solid innings.
In a two-out rally in the opening frame, Oregon was able to bring in a run after a double, a walk and an RBI scorcher down the left-field line that plated Alexa Peterson.
The Ducks came right back in the next frame with a leadoff home run by Koral Costa to take a 2-0 lead.
Oregon stretched its lead to 4-0 in the third when Janie Takeda reached on a failed tag. Peterson then smacked a two-run homer to left on the first pitch of her at-bat to extend the lead to four runs.
Alix Johnson cut Oregon's advantage in half in the bottom of the fifth by roping her 11th home run of the season, a two-run shot to left. Bailey Wigness scored on the drive after reaching on an infield error.
Neither team had any action on the base paths in the sixth or seventh innings.
