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TEMPE, Ariz. - The Purdue softball team rapped out eight hits, but could not come up with a timely one and lost to host Arizona State 3-0 on Friday in the renowned Kajikawa Classic at Farrington Stadium.
The Boilermakers stranded seven runners - including the bases loaded in the sixth inning - and had a runner thrown out at third base and another doubled off first base.
Purdue's first two hitters - center fielder Maya Hughes (career-high tying three) and shortstop Kristen Hoppman (two) combined for five hits, while first baseman Mallory Baker, designated hitter Kaitlynn Moody and pinch-hitter Brooke Perry each had one.
Meanwhile, Arizona State (3-0) scored an unearned run in the third inning and tallied twice more in the fourth. The Sun Devils had just five hits off Purdue pitchers Maddie Damon and Katie Johnson.
"I was really proud of how the team did," Purdue head coach Boo De Oliveira said. "We outhit one of the best teams in the country. A couple more quality at-bats and we get the win. We leave here feeling really good in knowing that we can compete with anybody."
Head coach Boo De Oliveira talks about the first two games of the season and about returning to Arizona State. https://t.co/fQsGS6rSKv
-- 🚂Purdue Softballâš' (@PurdueSoftball) February 11, 2017
Damon started and worked the first two innings, allowing two hits and one walk, before Johnson took over and gave up all three runs on three hits and three walks with one strikeout over the final four frames.
Left fielder Emily Kenny made two big-time defensive plays for the Boilermakers. Arizona State's Skylar McCarty led off the bottom of the first inning and tried for an inside-the-park home run, but Kenny fired to Hoppman, whose relay throw to catcher Kaylah Hampton nabbed the Sun Devil batter. An inning later, Kenny threw out Chelsea Gonzales at home trying to score on a would-be sacrifice fly.
Alyssa Loza was the winning pitcher for the Sun Devils after scattering seven hits over five innings with five strikeouts. Breanna Macha finished for the save.
The Boilermakers (0-2) continue Kajikawa Classic play Saturday with games at 2:15 p.m. ET against Fresno State (1-1) and at 5 p.m. against Stanford (2-0 prior to its Friday evening game against Western Michigan).
Huge Hughes: The three-hit game for Hughes was the fifth of her career. The junior previously had two of them in both 2015 and 2016.