Softball slams past St. John's and Creighton again
<p>A grand slam from <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/w-softbl/mtt/donnenwirth_krista00.h… Donnenwirth</a> and the third consecutive complete game shutout from <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/w-softbl/mtt/bach_hillary00.html">H… Bach</a> led the eighth-ranked ASU softball team to a 16-0 (5) win over St. John’s and an 11-8 win over Creighton Wednesday night in Tempe. Bach goes to 8-0 on the year while <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/w-softbl/mtt/parlich_sam00.html">Sam Parlich</a> took the win in game two for a 4-1 record as ASU rolls to a 19-2 record overall.</p><separator></separator><p>In game one <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/w-softbl/mtt/bach_hillary00.html">H… Bach</a> proved untouchable again as she silenced the Red Storm allowing only six hits while striking out five with only eight Storm members gracing the bases the whole day.</p><separator></separator><p>Meanwhile on the flip side, the ASU offense came out ready to play as they posted nine hits on the board, four of which were home runs for A State. Jumping into the slugfest with their first hits of the season were <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/w-softbl/mtt/anderson_lexi00.html">… Anderson</a> and <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/w-softbl/mtt/donovan_jessica00.html… Donovan</a>, who both reared up to hit back-to-back first career longballs leading ASU to a definitive 16-0 win in five innings.</p><separator></separator><p>Game two saw scrappy <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/w-softbl/mtt/parlich_sam00.html">Sam Parlich</a> take to the circle against the Creighton Jays, whose offense she shut down through three complete while her Sun Devil bats kept grinding away, posting four runs up in the first inning alone. With the bases loaded, <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/w-softbl/mtt/donnenwirth_krista00.h… Donnenwirth</a> strode up to the plate with the confidence of an All-Star as she swatted a 2-1 pitch to the deepest part of the park for a grand slam and her third home run of the season.</p><separator></separator><p>A home run for <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/w-softbl/mtt/boyd_katelyn00.html">K… Boyd</a> and RBIs from <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/w-softbl/mtt/castillo_kaylyn00.html… Castillo</a> and <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/w-softbl/mtt/lockwood_annie00.html"… Lockwood</a> in the second added three for ASU before the Jays battled back a bit in the fourth inning with two solo shots to cut ASU’s lead to 7-2. The Sun Devils took the gloves off again in the bottom of the fourth adding four more runs after knocking out six hits, one of which was a two-run shot for <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/w-softbl/mtt/carlson_caylyn00.html"… Carlson</a> for her third dinger of 2010.</p><separator></separator><p>Creighton wasn’t finished though as they went on a spree in the sixth inning with some two-out lightning as a run was allowed to cross the plate before <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/w-softbl/mtt/parlich_sam00.html">Sam Parlich</a> was relieved by senior righty, <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/w-softbl/mtt/elliott_megan00.html">… Elliott</a>. CU’s bats were red-hot though as they immediately hit a two-RBI double and a home run to clear the bags sending it to the full seven innings. Elliott settled into her role though for the rest of the evening, keeping the Jays at bay to close out the win 11-8.</p><separator></separator><p>The Sun Devils return to action this Friday as they set to host the Diamond Devil Invitational featuring BYU, Nebraska and Pacific. Tournament games begin Friday at noon in Tempe at Farrington Stadium.</p>