March 21, 2007
EL PASO, Texas - Errors and weak offense caused the No. 5 Sun Devil Softball squad to fall twice in a doubleheader against UTEP Wednesday afternoon in El Paso, Texas. The Sun Devils lost 5-4 and 8-7 in ten innings to fall to 29-7 on the season, while the UTEP Miners rise to 21-10 overall.
Game one saw the Sun Devils rattle off 12 hits to UTEP's four, but the Sun Devils were unable to capitalize on offense, leaving seven stranded. The Sun Devils struck first in the fourth inning with three straight singles before Michelle Smith took the first pitch she saw for an RBI single through the right side. Smith was copied by Jessica Mapes in the next at bat to plate Rhiannon Baca to push ASU up 2-0.
UTEP answered in the fifth as Kelly Lombard launched a solo shot to left to give UTEP one before two hit batters were brought home by Megan Whitaker who took an 0-1 pitch deep to right to give UTEP the lead 4-2. The Devils tied it in the sixth adding two to the score with a two RBI double from Kaitlin Cochran to plate Rhiannon Baca and Michelle Smith. The Miners had other plans though and in the seventh they took home the win with pitcher, Stacie Townsend going deep to left field to win it 5-4.
Game two saw UTEP take the lead first grabbing one in the second inning, which ASU answered in the top of the third. Costly Sun Devil errors in the bottom of the third gave UTEP a four run rally off three hits and three ASU errors to give UTEP a 5-1 lead. The Miners put up one more in the next inning before ASU started to surge back in fifth with one run and in the sixth with four runs off of four hits to knot the game at 6-6.
The game remained tied until the 10th when ASU took the lead off an error by the third baseman, bringing home Mindy Cowles. It wasn't enough though as a wild pitch brought home a run for the Miners followed with an RBI single through the left side from Ashley Ellis to win the game 8-7.
The No. 5 Sun Devils will hit the field again tomorrow as they take on BYU in Tempe at Farrington Stadium at 7 p.m. before hosting the Diamond Devil Invitational Friday, March 23-25 in Tempe.