April 11, 2001
TEMPE, Ariz. -- Junior pitcher/designated player Erica Beach has been named the Louisville Slugger/NFCA National Player of the Week, announced Tuesday by the NFCA. Beach claimed Pac-10 Player of the Week honors on Monday.
Beach helped propel the ninth-ranked Arizona State softball team to a sweep of the UCLA/Washington road swing for the first time in school history. It was also the first time since 1993 that ASU swept 14th-ranked Washington on the road. In the three games combined ASU pounded out 34 hits, scored 17 runs, while limiting UCLA and Washington to a combined three runs.
Beach, a junior from Scottsdale, Arizona (Chaparral High School) supplied a good portion of the offense for Arizona State. In ASU's 6-1 win over No. 1 UCLA, Beach started the team's 16-hit performance with a solo home run over the right field fence to put ASU on the board. Beach later doubled to center field to drive in another run. In the game, Beach went 3-for-4 with a double, a home run, a run scored and a team-high four RBIs.
In ASU's 6-1 win over Washington, Beach set the Arizona State career record for RBIs as she launched a massive home run (250 ft.) over the right field fence to give her 116 career RBIs. In the game, Beach went 3-for-3 with a double, a home run, a run scored, a walk and three more RBIs.
Overall on the weekend, Beach batted .700 (7-for-10) with two doubles, two home runs, two runs scored, two walks and seven RBIs. Beach also picked up her 14th win in the circle as ASU defeated UW, 5-1 on Saturday. She pitched six and two-thirds' innings, allowed only one run with six strikeouts. Beach raised her batting average 36 points over the weekend to .369. Additionally, she leads the team with seven home runs and is tied for the lead with 31 RBIs.