May 7, 2001
TEMPE, Ariz. -- For the second time this year, the Arizona State softball team swept the Pac-10 Pitcher and Player honors, announced today by the Pac-10 office. Junior Erica Beach earned Pitcher of the Week honors, while freshman Phelan Wright claimed Player of the Week accolades.
Beach, who earned Pac-10 Player of the Week and NFCA National Player of the Week acclaim on April 9th, posted two of ASU's three wins over the weekend as ASU swept the Bay Area road trip.
Beach recorded her first win against third-ranked Stanford, throwing seven innings with two earned runs and three strikeouts. The following day she picked up the win against fifth-ranked California. Beach came in with the score tied and pitched two and two-thirds innings, allowing only one hit with two strikeouts as ASU won in nine innings.
Overall, Beach pitched 16 innings, allowed three earned runs with five strikeouts. Beach now has 16 wins, tying her career high.
Freshman third baseman Phelan Wright was a main contributor in each of Arizona State's three wins against Stanford and California this past weekend.
Against Stanford, she went 2-for-4 with a double to help propel ASU to the extra inning win. The next day against Cal, Wright went 2-for-3 with a home run, a run scored and two RBIs. The home run put ASU ahead in the game 2-0 and a single later help to win that game in extra innings.
In the second game against Cal, ASU was down 1-0 when she hit a sacrifice fly to deep left field to bring in the tying run and to keep the game going into the seventh when the Sun Devils won. Wright was also walked twice in the game.
Overall, Wright went 4-for-8 (.500) with a double, a home run, a run scored, three RBIs and three walks. In the field, Wright was perfect on the weekend with 12 successful chances. In 18 games this year, Wright is currently batting an amazing .456 in the pitching rich Pac-10 Conference and leads the ASU team with a .408 overall average with 60 hits and a .517 slugging percentage.