April 10, 2010
WESTWOOD, Calif. – Caylyn Carlson’s eighth home run of the season backed with some Sam Parlich mound magic powered the No. 9 ASU Softball team over the No. 5 UCLA Bruins Saturday night in Westwood as ASU took the win 4-2. Parlich moves to 7-3 on the year while ASU pushes to 34-6 overall and 3-2 in conference play, while dropping UCLA to 27-8 and 1-4 in the Pac-10.
In the rubber match-up for the day, ASU’s rookie, Sam Parlich took to the circle with a 6-3 record after a win and a loss over Arizona last weekend facing Donna Kerr, holding a 13-4 record after a loss to ASU the night before with 164 pitches thrown in the outing.
The Sun Devils struck first again as they came out in the second inning with the bottom half of their line-up showing that their patience at the plate could prove beneficial as Ashley Muenz pulled a walk before Caylyn Carlson crushed an 0-1 pitch off the scoreboard to bring home two runs with her eighth home run of the season.
With little Sam Parlich dancing pirouettes around the Bruin line-up through three straight innings, the whirling dervish had to come to an end in the fourth as the Bruins were able to put two on with no outs before loading them with two out. Parlich looked rattled as she walked in a run to cut the lead to 2-1 but composed herself on the next batter with Kaila Shull watching strike three pass her to close the inning.
ASU showed a little more life in the seventh inning as Lesley Rogers slapped a single to center field to extend her hitting streak to six games only to be followed with a single to right from Katelyn Boyd to put a runner in scoring position with one out. Krista Donnenwirth pulled a walk in the next at-bat to put a full load of ducks on the pond. With the home crowd cheering loud for the Bruins, Kaylyn Castillo dug in to put the bat on the ball to short only to have an errant throw allow two to score and give ASU the 4-1 lead.
Sam Parlich came out again in the seventh to finish what she started, but the Bruins weren’t going to let her off so easy, coming at her hard, leading off with a double and single to threaten ASU’s hold before lead-off hitter Andrea Harrison hit a double to right center to bring home a run. An 8-6-2 relay picked off another possible Bruin run with Katelyn Boyd’s laser throw helping to put the second out on the board. In fitting fashion, Sam Parlich fielded the last out to close out the win and clinch the series for ASU.
For video highlights and interviews please click here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9MagGuVofqI
The Sun Devils return to action tomorrow as they set to face the UCLA Bruins one last time in conference play this season taking on the Bruin blue at noon in Westwood at Easton Stadium.