May 9, 2010
CORVALLIS, Ore. – Despite Hillary Bach’s workhorse heroics in the circle, the lack of offensive gumption doomed the seventh-ranked ASU softball team again as they out-hit the Oregon State Beavers, but left a season-high 17 on base in a 10 inning 4-3 loss. Bach moves to 22-6 on the season while ASU drops to 40-13 overall and 9-9 in the Pac-10. The win moves OSU to 24-28 on the season and 4-14 in conference play.
With a departure from the norm opening the game with a newfangled line-up for the Sun Devils, ASU took to the scoreboard first in the outing as Mandy Urfer cranked the first pitch of the second inning to left center for her sixth jack of the season. A single from Annie Lockwood and RBI double from Katie Crabb gave ASU a 2-0 lead after two.
Beaver catcher, Tarah Black matched Urfer’s feat in the third inning to cut the lead in half though as she took a 2-0 pitch to right field to split the tab 2-1. OSU was ready to bring it though as they came out again in the fourth to take the lead with designated player Audrey Roderfeld doing her job, digging in on a split 1-1 count to take pitch number three of the at bat to center field for two runs and a 3-2 lead.
Scrappy Kaylyn Castillo came in clutch for ASU again though as she continued her stellar weekend with a huge RBI single in the sixth to bring home Talor Haro and tie it at three apiece, eventually forcing extra innings.
The Sun Devil offense was silenced after that though as Paige Hall slipped out of a few jams, with Hillary Bach throwing her heart out after already throwing 21 straight innings and finishing with nearly 300 pitches in three days on the weekend. Bach finally ran out of gas in the tenth inning though as a bases loaded RBI fielder’s choice from Allison Kutz finished the debacle.
The Sun Devils will now return home for one last series in the 2010 season as they set to host the top-ranked Washington Huskies this Thursday through Saturday in Tempe at Farrington Stadium.