April 24, 1999
TEMPE, Ariz. - The 10th-ranked Arizona State softball team (35-15, 6-10 Pac-10) spilt a doubleheader against eighth-ranked Oregon State (39-14, 10-6 Pac-10), dropping the first game 1-0 and winning the second 5-0 in Corvallis, Oregon today.
Despite a 12 strikeout, two hit performance by Kirsten Voak (19-8), the Sun Devils could not push a run across. Oregon State scored the unearned run in the fourth inning when Jodi Chiemlewski double to bring in Brooke Rutschman, who reach on an error by leftfielder Missy Hixon.
Erica Beach, who hit her 10th double of the year, and Chris Gill were the only Sun Devils to get hits off of winning pitcher Tarrah Beyster.
In the second game, ASU bounced back with a shutout of its own when Beach (15-7) fired her third shutout in as many games. Beach yielded only four hits, striking out four and went 1 for 3 with two RBIs at the plate.
The Sun Devils collected two runs in the fifth and three in the sixth. Melissa Miller scored the first run when Beach singled to left field and advanced to second on an error. Chris Gill knocked in the second run as she also singled to left field to bring in Jennifer Langenhuizen, who was pinch running for Beach.
After two consecutive singles in the sixth by Erin Wardien and Holly Smith, OSU starting pitcher Crystal Draper was pulled for Amy Borbiro. After Jamie Hlebechuk walked, Hixon smashed a single to left field scoring the third run. Beach then hit a sacrifice fly to left field, scoring Smith. After Hixon stole second, Borbiro then walked the next two batters forcing in the fifth and final run.
Up next, Arizona State will head to Eugene to face Oregon in a doubleheader tomorrow at 1:00 p.m.