Feb. 7, 2004
TEMPE, Ariz. - The 20th-ranked Arizona State softball team (5-2) split its two games again during the second day of the ASU triangular, winning 1-0 over Kansas (1-3) and falling to Northwestern (3-1) 9-2. Against the Jayhawks, pitchers Bre DeSanta and Desiree Serrano combined for a one hit shutout, while striking out 15 batters.
DeSanta started the game against Kansas, working four innings, allowing only a single and a walk with nine strikeouts. Serrano (2-0) then finished the final three innings of no-hit ball with six strikeouts.
The Sun Devils broke the scoreless tie with the lone run in the bottom of the sixth inning. Kristin Farber opened the frame with a single to left field. Heidi Knabe followed with a sacrifice bunt, moving Farber to second. Kansas then intentionally walked Phelan Wright, while Ashley Werschky grounded out to second base to move Farber to third and Wright to second.
Trisha Tornberg then flared a pitch from Kansas pitcher Kassie Humphreys (0-2) to the second baseman, but she dropped the ball, allowing Farber to score the game-winning run. Serrano then retired the Jawhawks in order to pick up the win.
In the first game of the day against Northwestern, Wright hit a first inning two-run home run over the left field fence to put the Devils up 2-0. But the Wildcats would come back and tie the game at 2-2 in the bottom of the second and then tag on three more in the third. Sheila McCorkle led off the inning with a solo home run and Erin Manahan hit a two-run single to center field.
The Wildcats extended their lead to 8-2 with three more runs in the fourth inning off three hits and one Sun Devil error, and finished the game in the sixth inning when Erin Mobley homered to right field.
Werschky (1-1) suffered the loss, giving up eight hits and eight runs in three and a third innings. DeSanta finished the final two and two thirds, allowing one run on one hit with four strikeouts. Northwestern's Courtnay Forster (2-0) went the distance, giving up seven hits and two unearned runs with five strikeouts.
All three teams will be back at Farrington Stadium on Sunday for the final two games of the triangular beginning at 9:00 a.m.