LOS ANGELES -- The Arizona State softball team dropped its Pac-12 opener to UCLA 3-2 Friday night with a score of 3-2 on Friday night.
Dallas Escobedo took the loss after going six innings striking out five, moving to 15-3 on the season. Ally Carda got UCLA's win in the upset, improving to 15-2.
The Sun Devils (29-3, 0-1 Pac-12) fell behind 2-0 in the opening inning after a two-out rally, as Stephanie LaRosa walked and Carda followed with a two-run homer to left.
ASU freshman Nikki Girard notched her second home run of the season in the fifth to cut the UCLA lead to 2-1. Alix Johnson followed two batters later and reached on a fielder's choice, getting to second on a Bruins error. A sacrifice fly by Haley Steele scored Johnson, unearned, to make it a 2-2 ballgame.
UCLA (24-4, 1-0 Pac-12) took the lead once more in the bottom of the sixth, though, when B. B. Bates homered to right to give her team a 3-2 lead.
With only three outs remaining, the Sun Devils were unable to bring in a run in the top of the seventh, dropping to 1-3 against ranked teams this season.
