No. 1 softball makes history with win over UCLA

May 04, 2008

History was made again Sunday in the 2008 Sun Devil Softball season as the No. 1 ASU Softball team topped No. 4 UCLA Bruins 5-2 at Easton Stadium, which clinches the series over the Bruins for the first time since 1980. The Sun Devils are now 54-4 overall which ties their all-time high in wins and 16-2 in conference play, a new conference win record in Sun Devil history. The Bruins fall to 43-6 overall and 15-3 in conference play.<separator></separator>The Sun Devils turned the tables from yesterday's start against the Bruins as they put together a two-out rally to storm the plate in the first inning with <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/w-softbl/mtt/cochran_kaitlin00.html… Cochran</a> getting hit by a pitch only to be advanced to second by <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/w-softbl/mtt/donnenwirth_krista00.h… Donnenwirth's</a> single to left. <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/w-softbl/mtt/miller_kristen00.html"… Miller</a> made the decisive swing though as she demolished the first pitch she saw deep to left field for a three run shot to give ASU the 3-0 advantage with her 13th home run of the season.<separator></separator>ASU stepped up to have another big inning in the fourth as <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/w-softbl/mtt/donnenwirth_krista00.h… Donnenwirth's</a> patience paid off as she pulled the count full to nail a double to right center to lead-off the inning. A walk to <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/w-softbl/mtt/miller_kristen00.html"… Miller</a> and a single from <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/w-softbl/mtt/welty_renee00.html">Re… Welty</a> gave ASU the bases loaded with no outs as <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/w-softbl/mtt/cowles_mindy00.html">M… Cowles</a> and <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/w-softbl/mtt/crabb_katie00.html">Ka… Crabb</a> both stepped up to hit sacrifice fly outs to right field to plate two more and give ASU a 5-0 lead.<separator></separator>The Bruins never go silently though as an RBI double to left center in the fourth from Katie Schroeder plated Monica Harrison and cut the score to 5-1 after four full with <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/w-softbl/mtt/elliott_megan00.html">… Elliott</a> pitching masterfully out of another tough situation. The Bruins struck again in the fifth inning with a lead-off solo home run for Amanda Kamekona, which ended <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/w-softbl/mtt/elliott_megan00.html">… Elliott's</a> outing, bringing in <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/w-softbl/mtt/burkhart_katie00.html"… Burkhart</a> with a 5-2 lead.<separator></separator>The Bruins had nothing on Burkhart though as she pitched three innings allowing only two hits and striking out five en route to her third save and ASU's 54th of the season.<separator></separator>The Sun Devils will now return home for one last regular season Pac-10 season to wrap their 2008 season as they host the Stanford Cardinal and Cal Golden Bears this Thursday, May 8-10 in Tempe at Farrington Stadium.<separator></separator> <separator></separator>