Softball drops two to open Judi Garmen Classic
<p>Two walk-off heart breakers awaited the seventh-ranked ASU Softball team Thursday afternoon as they opened the Judi Garmen Classic with a 1-0 loss to No. 15 Texas and a 5-4 loss to No. 8 Oklahoma. <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/w-softbl/mtt/bach_hillary00.html">H… Bach</a> and <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/w-softbl/mtt/parlich_sam00.html">Sam Parlich</a> took the respective losses as ASU is now 24-4 overall.<br /><br />Game one sent <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/w-softbl/mtt/bach_hillary00.html">H… Bach</a> to the circle for the Sun Devils in what turned out to be an old-fashioned pitcher’s duel with the sophomore righty locking horns with freshman Blair Luna where both kept the offenses off-kilt throughout most of the game, each pitching six shutout innings. <br /><br />The Sun Devil offense just couldn’t get it together as Luna essentially eclipsed ASU’s bat power, allowing only one hit to <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/w-softbl/mtt/parlich_sam00.html">Sam Parlich</a> in the entire game. <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/w-softbl/mtt/bach_hillary00.html">H… Bach</a> gave it her all as well, keeping the Longhorns stagnant until the seventh inning when she threw a 2-2 pitch that third basemen Nadia Taylor was just able to get a hold of, tearing it over the left field fence for a walk-off solo shot to end the game.<br /><br />After a pseudo siesta, the Sun Devils came back for their afternoon game rested and looking to take on the eighth-ranked Oklahoma Sooners where <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/w-softbl/mtt/elliott_megan00.html">… Elliott</a> took to the circle looking to hit double digits in wins this season entering with a 9-1 record.<br /><br />The hard-hitting Sooners had other plans though as they jumped on the scoreboard first in the fourth inning when an RBI double from Haley Nix brought around Amber Flores for a 1-0 lead. ASU came back to snake the lead in the sixth though after a costly Sooner error and a huge two-RBI double from <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/w-softbl/mtt/lockwood_annie00.html"… Lockwood</a> to push it to 2-1 in A State’s favor.<br /><br />OU wasn’t about to go quietly into the night though as a two-run home run from Katie Norris and an RBI double from Brianna Turang gave OU a 4-2 lead and saw <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/w-softbl/mtt/parlich_sam00.html">Sam Parlich</a> enter the game in relief. Parlich held her own as ASU rattled the cage again in the seventh tying it up with Caylyn Carlson’s RBI single and a wild pitch to bring home <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/w-softbl/mtt/haro_talor00.html">Tal… Haro</a> for a 4-4 tie.<br /><br />It wasn’t in the cards for the Devils though as Parlich looked solid, striking out the first two batters before the trouble began with a single from Haley Nix who was pushed to second with a walk. Digging in on 1-1 pitch Katie Norris came through in the clutch again as she loped a ball to right center for the walk-off 5-4 win in OU’s favor.<br /> <br />The Sun Devils hit the diamond again today as the Judi Garmen Classic continues with ASU taking on DePaul at 11:15 a.m. in Fullerton at the Cal State Fullerton Softball Complex.</p>