TEMPE, Ariz.- Western Michigan softball opened the 2015 season with a 6-0 loss against a tough No. 16/16 ranked Arizona State squad Thursday at the Sun Devil's Kajikawa Classic.

The Broncos will face six opponents over a four-day span at the classic and are back in action again Friday with contests against Creighton and Indiana. Creighton also suffered a defeat to Arizona State Thursday, 7-4.

ASU starting freshman pitcher Breanna Macha allowed just one hit and no walks in the win, while striking out eight over six innings of work. Macha was a four-time Arizona state champion pitcher in high school and an ESPNHS Softball First Team All-American. Junior Alexis Cooper threw the final inning for the Sun Devils and also gave up a hit, as WMU collected two total on the day.

Bronco sophomore third baseman Kelsea Cichocki went 1-for-2 at the plate, singling to right field off Macha in the third. Junior second baseman Melissa Palmer poked an infield single off of Cooper in the seventh inning.

Western Michigan split pitching duties between sophomore Erin Binkowski and junior Allyson Kus, each throwing three frames. Binkowski gave up five hits, three walks and four runs in the loss. Kus threw the final three innings and held ASU's powerful offense to four hits and just two runs.

Bethany Kemp and Katee Aguirre hit back-to-back solo shots in the second to give ASU a two-run jump start. The Sun Devils are coming off a 2014 season in which they posted a 46-12-1 record, returning 16 letterwinners from that squad.