March 13, 2010
TEMPE, Ariz. - With some Hillary Bach heroics and Caylyn Carlson clutch hitting the eighth-ranked Sun Devil Softball team collected two more wins Saturday night as they topped No. 23 BYU 11-6 and Nebraska 1-0. Megan Elliott and Hillary Bach took the respective wins for ASU while the Sun Devils move to 23-2 overall.
Game one sent Megan Elliott to the circle in search of her ninth win on the season where BYU sent a message early as their lead-off hitter Kristin Delahoussaye knocked the third pitch of the game over the left center wall to take a 1-0 lead.
It didn't last long as Caylyn Carlson and her red-hot bat dug into the batter's box with three ducks on the pond where she launched another grand slam to left center for her second of the weekend to take a 4-1 lead. The Cougars came roaring back in the bottom of the inning to tie it at four apiece with three runs off three hits and a Sun Devil error.
The Sun Devils showed some gumption of their own though as they posted three runs in the third with RBI doubles from Kaylyn Castillo and Krista Donnenwirth as well as a RBI sac fly from Sam Parlich to inch ahead 7-4. BYU wasn't about to go quietly though as they scrapped back two more runs in the fifth inning with four hits before Hillary Bach entered the game to relieve Megan Elliott and squash the Cougar rally.
Bach cruised through the rest of the game while the offense finally locked in for four more runs in the sixth inning to slam the door shut on BYU and collect their 22nd win of the season.
A nail-biter awaited the Sun Devils in the nightcap as Hillary Bach took the ball for ASU where she faced a heavy-hitting Nebraska team with an affinity for the long ball. It turned out to be a fine night for a pitchers duel as the Huskers sent ace Robyn Mackin to the circle where the hurlers locked horns through four scoreless innings apiece.
The Sun Devils were finally able to scrap out a run in the fifth inning as Sam Parlich knocked an 0-1 pitch to right field to take first before Caylyn Carlson came through in the clutch yet again as she cracked a 1-0 pitch down the left field line just enough to bring the fleet-footed Parlich home and break the stalemate.
What awaited the sophomore righty Bach throughout the rest of the game may be one of her finest masterpieces yet as she made her surname proud after she found herself in a bit of a pickle in the sixth inning with three straight Husker singles to lead off the inning. Bach held her composure as she drew two force outs at the plate for the next two batters before floating a perfect inside pitch to one of the best hitters in the Husker line up for a strikeout looking to remain unscathed and reach double-digit wins on the season with a 10-0 record.
The Sun Devils will wrap the 2010 Diamond Devil Invitational tomorrow as they take on the Nebraska Cornhuskers yet again at 1 p.m. in Tempe at Farrington Stadium.