March 17, 2000
FULLERTON, Calif. -- The third-ranked Arizona State softball team (28-4) won all three of its pool games as they defeated Cal State Northridge, 2-1, today to advance to the championship bracket.
Sophomore pitcher Erica Beach went the distance for the Sun Devils as she limited CS Northridge to only three hits (by two players) and one run.
Northridge posted the first run in the top of the fourth off a solo home run to center field by Veronica Lopez.
Arizona State would fight back in the bottom of the fourth to tie the game. After a Kara Brun single and a walk to move Brun to second, senior Andrea Rodgers nailed a pinch hit single to center field to score Brun.
The game went scoreless until the bottom of the seventh. Sophomore Nichole Thompson led off with a hard single past the first baseman. After moving to second, freshman Sara Kahler singled a 2-2 pitch to right field to drive in Thompson for the game-winning run.
ASU out-hit Northridge 10-3, led by Thompson's 2-for-4 performance.
The Sun Devils will play again tonight at 5 p.m. against either Iowa or University of Louisiana-Lafayette.