May 4, 2007
CORVALLIS, Ore. - Fueled with 10 hits and Katie Burkhart's nine strikeouts, which eclipsed Jennie Finch's strikeout total on the Pac-10 career list, the No. 9 Sun Devil Softball team took another Pac-10 series Friday afternoon as they beat the Oregon State Beavers 5-4 in extra innings. The Sun Devils are now 46-13 overall and 10-6 in conference play, as the Beavers fall to 36-19 overall and 7-9 in the Pac-10
The Beavers grabbed the lead right off the bat in the first as a RBI single from Brianne McGowan brought around an unearned Beaver run to take the lead 1-0. The lead was short-lived though as ASU stormed back in the second after a Beaver error placed Ashley Muenz on first before Kristen Miller dug in on a 3-2 pitch to take a pitch deep to left center to plate two for her 11th home run of the season.
The Sun Devil offense wasn't done yet though, as a double down the left line off a 2-1 pitch in the third inning from Mindy Cowles plated Kaitlin Cochran to push the lead to 3-1. The Beavers still had some fight left in them though as Cambria Miranda took an 0-2 pitch deep to left center for her tenth home run of the year.
The Sun Devils looked to wrap the game up, but the Beavers had other plans as they came into the seventh inning down 4-2 before going on an offensive rally grabbing two runs off of two hits and capitalizing on three Sun Devil errors to tie it up and send it to extra innings.
In the top of the eighth, the Sun Devil offense proved it wasn't done yet though as Mindy Cowles led off the inning where she struggled through the first part of her at bat only to send her 11th long ball of the season sailing over the right center fence to up the Devils 5-4. Katie Burkhart came back in the bottom of the inning to strike out the side to wrap up her complete game with nine strikeouts, giving her 1,030 career strikeouts to eclipse Jennie Finch for 8th all-time in the Pac-10 career strikeout list.
Up next, the Sun Devils travel to Eugene where they will face the Oregon Ducks tomorrow at 1 p.m. as Pac-10 play resumes.