ASU softball opens Judi Garmen Classic with win over Utah

March 19, 2008

<a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/w-softbl/mtt/burkhart_katie00.html"… Burkhart</a> pitched nearly perfect again Wednesday afternoon as the No. 1 Sun Devil Softball team opened the 2008 Judi Garmen Classic with a 3-0 win over Utah. Burkhart struck out 16 en route to her 10th shut-out of the season with a complete game no-hitter. The Sun Devils are now 31-1 overall and increase their winning streak to 28 as Utah falls to 14-13 overall.<separator></separator>The game proved to be a tough pitchers battle between Burkhart and Smuda with both hurlers keeping the bats quiet until the fourth inning when ASU struck first blood as an error placed <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/w-softbl/mtt/vasquez_jackie00.html"… Vasquez</a> on first with <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/w-softbl/mtt/cochran_kaitlin00.html… Cochran</a> digging in next to crush the first pitch she saw deep to right field to take the 2-0 lead off her eighth home run of the season. <separator></separator>The Sun Devils added another in the fifth inning as they pulled off a double steal with <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/w-softbl/mtt/vasquez_jackie00.html"… Vasquez</a> stealing second and <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/w-softbl/mtt/baca_rhiannon00.html">… Baca</a> snaking home to push ahead 3-0. Burkhart cruised the win home, pitching to near perfection...with the exception of three hit batters to take her 15th win of the season.<separator></separator>The Sun Devils will continue competition tomorrow morning in the Judi Garmen Classic with a doubleheader against Florida State and Illinois. First game versus Florida State kicks off at 9 a.m. followed with a 1:30 p.m. start for Illinois. Both times are PT.