No. 1 softball sweeps Pac-10 opening weekend

March 30, 2008

With a phenomenal outing from starting pitcher <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/w-softbl/mtt/elliott_megan00.html">… Elliott</a> and a three-run home run from <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/w-softbl/mtt/vasquez_jackie00.html"… Vasquez</a>, the No. 1 Sun Devil Softball team broke out the brooms Sunday afternoon to sweep their Pac-10 opening weekend for the first time since 2003 as they survived a grueling 13-inning game to take a 3-0 win from No. 5 Stanford. ASU is now 39-2 overall and 3-0 in Pac-10 play as Stanford falls to 32-5 and 0-3 in Pac-10. <separator></separator>The match-up slated Stanford ace Missy Penna against the Sun Devil righty <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/w-softbl/mtt/elliott_megan00.html">… Elliott</a>. Elliott was amazing in the outing pulling out of jams in first, second and fifth inning allowing only five hits and striking out five in over nine innings of work while her defense excelled behind her turning two double plays with <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/w-softbl/mtt/baca_rhiannon00.html">… Baca</a> as the backbone with two put outs and eight assists in the game.<separator></separator><a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/w-softbl/mtt/burkhart_katie00.html"… Burkhart</a> entered the game after Elliott's 137 pitch in the ninth where she cruised the Devils through four more innings. Penna threw a nearly flawless game as well, throwing over 210 pitches in the outing until a hit batter an error in the 13th ended up costing the Cardinal dearly as the exhausted Penna gave up a three-run home run to <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/w-softbl/mtt/vasquez_jackie00.html"… Vasquez</a> off a full count for Vasquez's second long ball of the season. <separator></separator>With the win, the Sun Devils clinched the series against Stanford as Head Coach <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/w-softbl/mtt/myers_clint01.html">Cl… Myers</a> has never lost a series to the Cardinal in his three year tenure. <separator></separator>The Sun Devils will resume Pac-10 play next weekend as they head to the Pacific Northwest to take on the Oregon schools Friday April 4-6.