March 16, 2000
FULLERTON, Calif. -- The third-ranked Arizona STate softball team (27-4) won its first two games of Pool (A), defeating Texas (12-15-1), 2-0, Wednesday night and Notre Dame (15-5, 2-1, this afternoon at the KIA Klassic Tournament in Fullerton, Calif.
In the first game against Texas, sophomore pitcher Kirsten Voak threw a one-hitter, while striking out nine batters. Voak struck out every Texas batter except one player.
ASU posted its first run in the fourth inning when sophomore centerfielder Nichole Thompson doubled in senior outfielder Jamie Hlebechuk. The Sun Devils recorded their second run in the fifth inning when sophomore first baseman Erin Wardein singled to center to send in Voak from third.
Hlebechuk led ASU, going 3-for-3 with a run, while Thompson went 2-for-2 with two doubles and an RBI.
Against Notre Dame, the Irish took the early lead in the third inning when Jennifer Kriech hit a triple past a diving Thompson to drive in the first run.
ASU tied the game in the bottom of the fifth when freshman Kara Brun smacked a 2-0 pitch over the left field fence for her fourth homer of the year.
Sophomore pitcher Erica Beach started the game and went five and a third innings before being relieved by Voak. Beach allowed only three hits, one run and struck out four. With two on and one out, Notre Dame loaded the bases with an infield single, however, Voak struck out the next batter and induced a 6-4 fielder's choice to end the threat.
In the bottom of the seventh inning, ASU led off with a single by freshman catcher Sara Kahler and a walk by the next batter. After a passed ball to move the runners up to second and third, ASU attempted a squeeze play but came up short as the pitcher tossed the ball to the catcher for the put out. Now with a runner on third, senior Andrea Rodgers came in to pinch hit and cracked the ball to the Irish first baseman, who could not handle the hit, allowing ASU to score the winning run.
Voak earned the win, going one and two-thirds innings with two hits and two strikeouts. Despite the timely hitting, the Sun Devils could only muster three hits.
Arizona State now moves to 2-0 in pool play and will face Cal State Northridge in the final pool game in Friday at 11:00 a.m.
In a related story, Beach won the home run hitting contest Wednesday afternoon between players from Texas, Cal State Fullerton and selected local media. Beach won by a wide margin with six homers, while Texas had one and the media posted two.