Feb. 26, 2011
TEMPE, Ariz. – With Mandy Urfer, Katelyn Boyd and Talor Haro all batting over .500 on the day, the eighth-ranked Sun Devil Softball team collected two more wins on the season Saturday as they topped the Michigan State Spartans twice 10-2 (5) and 5-2. Hillary Bach and Mackenzie Popescue took wins on the day moving to 3-0 and 2-1 respectively on the season as the Sun Devils move to 12-1 on the year.
Game one saw the Sun Devil offense explode out of the gates in the first inning as they put five runs on the board with Katelyn Boyd hitting her sixth home run on the season to lead-off ASU a two-run home run followed her by Sam Parlich before Mandy Urfer brought in two more with a single for a quick 5-0 lead.
Three more runs in the third inning for the Sun Devils gave them a comfortable lead before two solo shots by the Michigan State’s bats to make the score 8-2 before a bases loaded walk in the fifth and a wild pitch to end the game via run rule in favor of ASU.
Mackenzie Popescue took to the circle for the Sun Devils in the next game to close out the weekend though this time the Spartans struck first in the game as a sac fly gave them a 1-0 lead. ASU wasn’t pining for the lead long though as they tied it in the second with an RBI single from Mandy Urfer and re-gaining the lead in the fourth win an RBI double from Lacy Goodman down the left field line.
Three more Sun Devil runs danced across the plate in the sixth to give themselves a four run cushion which would be all they needed as Dallas Escobedo closed out the save for ASU as only one unearned run coming in from MSU in the seventh.
The Sun Devils will hit the home diamond next weekend again as they set to host the Wilson/DiMarini Invitational with ECU, Northern Iowa, Northern Colorado, New Mexico State and Creighton coming to Tempe for the event.