TEMPE -- The No. 21 Arizona State softball team dropped the first game of the series against Oregon State, 7-6, on Friday night at Farrington Stadium.
The Sun Devils (27-16, 5-7) took a 6-5 lead into the final inning, but the Beavers (24-15, 5-11) captured the lead with a two-run home run off reliever Dale Ryndak, and then they held off ASU in the bottom half of the frame.
Sierra Rodriguez, Amber Freeman and Bethany Kemp all hit home runs in the losing effort. The Devils scored six runs on eight hits and seven walks, but they left eight runners on base in what proved to be a game full of missed opportunities.
True freshman Breanna Macha started in the circle for ASU, and aside from one inning of work, pitched well. The right-hander allowed five runs -- four of which came in the third -- on six hits and two walks.
Oregon State's four-run third put the Devils in a deep hole early. But as quickly as Beavers took the lead, they gave it up just as fast. In the bottom half of the third, the Devils added four runs to tie the game. With one out, Rodriguez got ASU on the board with a solo home run to right field -- her fourth of the year. Then the next two hitters got on for Amber Freeman, who stroked a 3-2 pitch over the wall in right center, knotting the game at 4 with her team-leading 12th homer of the season.
Macha found her groove after the brief rough patch in the third, tossing up two straight zeros, riding the momentum from the offense.
Just two innings removed from Freeman taking the team-lead in home runs, Kemp tied Freeman's total of 12 -- this one a two-run shot to center field to give the Sun Devils a two-run lead heading into the sixth.
The Beavers cut the lead in half after CJ Chirichigno hit a solo home run to left field.
Ryndak came on in the top of the seventh and struck out the first batter she faced on three pitches. But the next Beaver singled to left, bringing up three-hole hitter Dani Gilmore, who snuck one just over the fence in left field, giving Oregon State the late 7-6 lead.
Haley Steele was able to hit a one-out double in the bottom of the inning, but ASU left her stranded.
