March 22, 2002
Box Score Game 1 | Box Score Game 2
TEMPE, Ariz. - The sixth-ranked Arizona State softball team (30-7) swept a doubleheader from New Mexico (6-15-1), 6-2 and 4-3 tonight at Farrington Stadium.
In the first game, Arizona State scored three runs in the bottom of the first off four hits. Missy Hixon started with a single to left field, followed by infield singles by Nichole Thompson and Phelan Wright to load the bases. Kara Brun then grounded out to the pitcher to score the first run. Erica Beach was then intentionally walked. Kristen Swetel then hit into a fielder's choice, scoring Thompson. Kristin Farber brought in the final run with another infield hit.
ASU tagged on one more run in the second off two hits and one Lobo error, and two more runs in the fourth off three hits. In the fifth inning, Swetel replaced Beach as the pitcher. After getting two outs, Swetel surrendered a two-run home run over the left field fence to New Mexico's Tiffany Chambers to cut the final margin to 6-2. Freshman Blair Holck relived Swetel, making her ASU pitching debut with a hitless seventh inning. Beach (18-4) posted a new career-high with her 18th win, going four innings with one hit and four strikeouts.
In the second game, the Sun Devils manufactured the first run of the game. Hixon walked and was sacrificed over to second by Thompson. Wright hit a deep shot to center field for the second out, but also moved Hixon to third. Brun followed with a single to right field to plate Hixon.
In the third, ASU went up 2-0 off a Thompson solo home run over the 210-foot center field fence. The blast was Thompson's first career in her four-year stint as a Sun Devil.
However, in the top of the fourth, New Mexico tied the game. After Beach loaded the bases Swetel (5-0) came in and struckout the first batter she faced for the second out. But then she walked the next batter for the first run and hit the following batter to bring in the tying run.
ASU went back up on top in the fifth with two more runs. Hixon led off with an infield single. Thompson then sacrificed Hixon to second, but the Lobo pitcher over threw first attempting to get Thompson, advancing Hixon on to third and Thompson to second. Wright then single to center field, driving in both runners. Kirsten Voak then came in to pitch in the sixth inning, striking out the side. In the seventh, Voak struck out the first two batters, before giving up a solo home run to New Mexico's Krystal Mejia. Voak then got the final batter out to end the game
Up next, Arizona State begins Pac-10 Conference action, hosting third-ranked Arizona on Friday at 7:00 p.m.