Rally falls short, No. 1 Huskies lose 6-5 to Arizona State in softball

Published 11:08 pm Thursday, May 13, 2010

TEMPE, Ariz. — Top-ranked Washington scored five runs in the final three innings, including two in the top of the seventh, but No. 10 Arizona State hung on for a 6-5 win Thursday.

Danielle Lawrie and Taylor Smith each hit home runs for the Huskies (43-6, 15-4) in the Pacific-10 Conference softball game. The loss snapped UW’s seven-game winning streak.

Starter Baily Harris (9-4), a freshman, gave up eight hits, walked one batter and allowed a run in the first inning and two each in the third and fourth innings. Harris was relieved by sophomore Jenna Clifton, who allowed one run in her two innings pitched.

The Huskies started their comeback in the top of the fifth, trailing 5-0. Smith, a sophomore, hit her seventh home run of the season for Washington, a two-run shot to center field. Morgan Start, who had singled to lead off the inning, was on base.

The Sun Devils scored in the bottom of the fifth to make it 6-2 and the Huskies got the run right back in the sixth to cut the deficit again to three.

In the seventh, Kimi Pohlman, who went 2-for-3 in the game, led off with a walk for the Huskies and moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Jenn Salling. Lawrie then followed with her 13th home run of the season to center field to cut the lead to one.

But Arizona State pitcher Hillary Bach retired the next two Husky batters to allow the Sun Devils to escape with the victory.