Softball wins series against UCLA
Annie Lockwood’s home run and Hillary Bach’s meticulous pitching helped cement a program first in ASU softball history as the No. 9 Sun Devils topped the No. 5 UCLA Bruins 2-1 Sunday afternoon completing ASU’s first three game sweep of the Bruins in Westwood. Bach improves to 17-2 on the year while ASU holds at 35-6 overall and 4-2 in Pac-10 play while the Bruins drop to 27-9 and 1-5 in conference action.
The caryatid of the pitching staff, Hillary Bach, took to the mound for the Sun Devils with a 16-2 record only to find herself facing junior righty Whitney Baker who entered the rubber match with an 0-0 record and looking for her first decision of the season.
The Sun Devils were again able to draw first blood for the third straight day on the Bruins after Kaylyn Castillo pulled a 3-1 batters count before dropping a single to left only to be advanced by Sam Parlich and plated by a long single to left center by Katie Crabb to snake the 1-0 lead.
UCLA wasn’t about to take that lying down though as they retaliated in the third inning with a run of their own after Samantha Camuso lead-off with a single that a sac bunt and a single to right field from B.B. Bates brought on home.
The Sun Devils wasted no time telling UCLA that they’d go to fisticuffs if necessary with Annie Lockwood leading off the next inning with a solo shot bombed to left center for her 11th home run of the season and second of the weekend.
Hillary Bach kept the UCLA Bruins bats at bay throughout the duration as she found herself in a bit of a pickle in the sixth inning with UCLA loading the bases, but the sophomore composed herself to get out of the inning with a couple of fly outs and a pop out.
The Sun Devils will now return home to play host with the most next weekend as they host the Cal Golden Bears next Friday through Sunday in a three game series in Tempe at Farrington Stadium.