March 1, 2008
TEMPE, Ariz. - A solid first game followed with an extra inning win gave the No. 2 ASU Softball Team their 19th and 20th win Saturday night as they topped the BYU Cougars 8-2 and the Arkansas Ladybacks 6-5 in eight innings to remain undefeated through the Wilson/DeMarini Invitational. The Sun Devils are now 20-1 as BYU falls to 11-7 and Arkansas to 18-3.
The Sun Devils started off game one against BYU with a two-run first inning with Kaitlin Cochran taking first after being hit by a pitch only to be followed with Krista Donnenwirth's third home run of the weekend to left center to push ASU ahead 2-0. BYU grabbed one back in the top of the second, but ASU powered on to tack on three more in the third off two hits and two BYU passed balls.
ASU added three more runs in the fifth with a huge three-RBI double down the right line to clear the bases as Katie Burkhart cruised to her seventh win of the season while allowing only two runs off three hits to keep the all-time series against BYU perfect. The Sun Devils are now 7-0 all-time against BYU.
Game two featured the only other undefeated team in the tournament, the Arkansas Ladybacks which pitted Megan Elliott versus the Arkansas No. 1 hurler, Katy Henry. The Sun Devils drew first blood as they grabbed a run in the first with three hits as Mindy Cowles doubled to right field to plate Jackie Vasquez and take the lead 1-0.
Caylyn Carlson crushed a solo home run in the second to pad the lead as she took a 1-1 pitch deep to left center. The Ladybacks came back in the third though as Samantha Buckner matched the solo home run hitting one to right center to cut the Sun Devil lead to one. Mindy Cowles looked to break it open in the fifth with a single to the left with runners on first and second where an error allowed Cowles to clear the bases and score to jump ASU to a 5-1 lead.
Arkansas rallied back in the top of the sixth though as Megan Elliott seemed to tire loading up the bases with three straight singles before giving up a grand slam to tie the game at five apiece. With Katie Burkhart entering in relief with the score tied up, but ASU couldn't get one across as they headed to extra innings where Katie Burkhart climbed out of a jam with runners on the corners and one out to strikeout the next two batters. To start the bottom of the inning Mindy Cowles was placed on second for the international tiebreak rule where Renee Welty bunted her to third. With Katie Crabb battling a 1-2 count, Arkansas pitcher, Miranda Dixon threw a pitch wild past the glove of catcher Whitney Cloer to score Cowles and end the game.
The Sun Devils will finish the Wilson/DeMarini Tournament tomorrow as they set to face San Jose State at 1 p.m. in Tempe at Farrington Stadium. Tournament games will begin at 9 a.m.