May 2, 1999
TEMPE, Ariz. - Freshman pitcher Erica Beach (Scottsdale, Ariz.) made Arizona State (37-19, 8-14 Pac-10) softball history as she fired a perfect game against the 16th-ranked California Golden Bears (36-19, 7-14 Pac-10) today in Berkelely, California.
Beach (16-9), who faced the minimum 21 batters, allowed only one ball to leave the infield while striking out two batters. This is the second perfect game in two years for the Sun Devils as Carrie Breedlove tossed one against Detroit at last year's Fiesta Bowl Tournament.
ASU posted all four of its runs in the third inning with three runs scoring off three Cal errors. Nichole Thompson went 1 for 3 with an RBI, while Holly Smith and Andrea Rodgers each had a hit and a run scored.
In the first game, Cal jumped out to an early lead in the first when Holly Yost hit a three-run homer off Kirsten Voak (20-10). ASU would tie the score in the fifth when freshman Erin Wardien, who came in to pinch hit, would blast her first career homer to left centerfield. However, Cal posted two more runs in the sixth off of a home run by Megumi Takasakito win the game.
Voak did strikeout seven batters to give her 246 on the year, tying ASU's all-time single-season record by Melannie Kyler in 1978.
Up next, Arizona State will close out its regular-season home slate against Washington and UCLA on Friday, May 7 and Saturday, May 8 respectively.