Feb. 8, 2002
Game 1 Box Score | Game 2 Box Score
Phoenix, Ariz. -- The eighth-ranked Arizona State softball team (2-0) opened the 2002 season with a pair of wins in different fashions. In the first game, ASU eased over Utah State, 13-4 in a five-inning mercy rule game, while in the nightcap the Sun Devils rallied in the late innings to defeated Texas A&M, 2-1 in nine innings.
Against Utah State, the Sun Devils unloaded seven runs in the first inning against the Aggies to seal the game. ASU posted five more runs in the third inning and one more in the fourth. ASU also collected 13 hits in the game. Kirsten Voak (1-0) recorded the win as she went three and two-thirds innings, striking out eight batters. Kristin Farber and Kara Brun each had 3-for-4 games with Brun collecting two RBIs. Nichole Thompson and Phelan Wright also had two RBIs as eight total players collected at least one RBI.
In the second game it was a pitchers dual between ASU's Erica Beach (1-0) and Texas A&M's Lindsay Wilhelmson (0-1). The Aggies' scored once in the top of the fifth inning off two Sun Devil errors. However, in the bottom of the seventh, ASU tied the game with a single run of their own.
With one out, Beach got on base with an infield single, and then was pulled for pinch runner Amber Turner. Wright then hit the ball back to the pitcher for a routine 1-6 force out on Turner, but the ball slipped out of Wilhelmson hands and went sailing into centerfield, allowing Turner to advance to third. Voak followed with a ground out to the shortstop that scored Turner to tie the game.
In the extra innings both teams had chances to win the game, but in the bottom of the ninth, ASU sealed the comeback win. Missy Hixon was placed on second base (tiebreaker rule). After a Farber strikeout and a Brun ground out, Beach stepped to the plate and drove a single to right field allowing Hixon to round third and slide into home pass an outstretched Aggie catcher. Beach went the distance, allowing only three hits and no earned runs with a career-high eight strikeouts.
Up next, Arizona State will face Texas Tech on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. at Farrington Stadium.
Scores from the first day: Friday, February 8
Texas Tech _0_ vs. _11_ UCLA (5)
SW Texas St. _1_ vs. _8_ Miss. St.
Kansas _1_ vs. _7_ UMass
Fresno St. _1_ vs. _0_ California
SW Texas St. _1_vs. _10_ Arizona (5)
New Mexico St. _8_ vs. _2_ Utah St.
Texas A&M _1_ vs. _9_ UCLA (5)
Fresno St. _3_ vs. _4_ CS Fullerton
Texas _0_ vs. _3_ Arizona
Arizona St. _13_ vs. _4_ Utah St. (5)
Nebraska _3_ vs. _2_ CS Fullerton
Texas _1_ vs. _9_ Umass (5)
Arizona St. _2_ vs. _1_ Texas A&M (9)
Wisconsin _6_ vs. _0_ New Mexico St.
Nebraska __ vs. __ UNLV
Wisconsin _3_ vs. _0_ UNLV
Texas Tech _4_ vs. _12_ Miss. St. (5)
Kansas _2_ vs. _5_ California