The Sun Devils are ready to come home.
In the final game of three against No. 2 Oregon (35-5, 13-2 Pac-12), No. 19 ASU softball (27-15, 5-6 Pac-12) came up short by a score of 4-3 despite a late inning rally, falling below .500 in Pac-12 play for the first time this season.
The victory means a 3-0 sweep for the Ducks over the Sun Devils.
In the circle for ASU was freshman Breanna Macha (12-8), who pitched a complete game allowing four hits, four runs and walking seven.
Oregon struck first in the bottom of the first, scoring two runs off of a walk by Macha with the bases loaded and a fielder's choice groundout by junior Janelle Lindvall.
In the very next inning, Janelle's older sister, junior Lauren Lindvall, crushed a solo home run to put the Ducks up 3-0.
Later on in the second, freshman Jenna Lilley padded the Ducks' lead with a sac-fly to right that brought home her teammate, junior Alyssa Gillespie, giving Oregon a 4-0 advantage.
It took until the top of the sixth for another pair of runs to score, and this time they came from the Sun Devils. Sophomore shortstop Chelsea Gonzales stepped up to the plate and sent a two-run home run soaring over the wall in right center to bring ASU within two runs of the surging Ducks.
Back, back, back...GONE-ZALES!! Two run shot gets ASU on the board and back in business. 4-2 Ducks, top 6. #RallyDevils
— Sun Devil Softball (@ASUSoftball) April 12, 2015
In the top of the seventh with an opportunity to rally, senior first baseman Bethany Kemp led off for the Sun Devils and delivered with a solo home run to right that cut the deficit down to 4-3.
But with two outs in what would be the final inning, redshirt freshman Margaret Stahm pinch hit for ASU and struck out looking, cutting the comeback attempt short.
ASU's next game will begin on Friday at 7 p.m. in Tempe as it takes on Oregon State for game one of a three-game Pac-12 series.
Reach the reporter at rclarke6@asu.edu or follow @RClarkeASU on Twitter.
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