Feb. 28, 2004
South Carolina Box Score | Cal State Fullerton Box Score
COLUMBUS, Ga. - The 18th-ranked Arizona State softball team (16-9) opened Saturday's Bronze Bracket play win a 3-0 shutout win over 24th-ranked Cal State Fullerton. Earlier in the day, the Sun Devils dropped their final pool game to 20th-ranked South Carolina, 5-3. The Devils will next face the winner of the Ohio State/Virginia Tech game at 11:00 a.m. (Eastern time) in the semifinals.
Against Fullerton, ASU put a single run up in the second inning when Heidi Knabe doubled to left center field. Kim Zadrozny then put down a sacrifice bunt to move Knabe to third. That allowed Himmita Hixson to drive Knabe in with a hard single to left field.
In the fourth, The Devils put two more runs up. Valerie Sevilla singled and was then driven in by Phelan Wright's double, but Wright also advance to third on the throw to try and cut down Sevilla at the plate. Zadrozny then followed with another sacrifice bunt that drove in Wright.
Desiree Serrano (9-2) pitched the complete game shutout, her fourth of the year, with seven strikeouts on five hits. Serrano allowed only two Fullerton players to make it to second.
In their final pool game, the Devils attempted come back in the seventh inning just fell short as ASU scored three times in the inning and left two on when the game ended. After ASU starting pitcher, Bre DeSanta (4-3) struckout the first two batters, USC got on the board first off of a solo home run from Cornett. USC then went up 2-0 in the second off of a base loaded single and went up 5-0 when Cornett doubled in two more runs
In the seventh inning, Sharee Zaleski and Kristin Crenshaw each earned a walk. USC then changed pitchers from starter Melanie Henkes to Aleca Johnson. Kristin Farber then poked a single into center field to load the bases. Trisha Tornberg then worked another walk to drive in the first run. Sevilla followed with a deep drive to center to plat Crenshaw to cut into the lead. Wright then kept the inning alive as she fought off a pitch to left field to drive in Farber. But ASU was unable to keep it going as Tornberg was forced out at third base for the final out.