Softball's season comes to an end with loss to Florida
Despite putting more hits on the board, home runs proved to be costly yet again Sunday afternoon as the No. 13 ASU softball team saw their 2010 season end with a 5-2 loss to the No. 4 Florida Gators. Megan Elliott took the loss to close out her season with a 12-3 record and career with a 59-14 record. The Sun Devils finish out the season with a 44-17 overall record and 3-2 postseason record.
With the rain dribbling off and on throughout the game it lined up to be a pitchers duel in the beginning of the game with Megan Elliott taking the circle with a 12-2 record against Stephanie Brombacher with a 33-6 record.
The hurlers kept it knotted until the third inning when the top of the line up for Florida came out with a single up the middle that the brutal Kelsey Bruder came out to bring home with her 14th home run of the season to deep center for the 2-0 lead.
The Gators flashed their toothy grin again in the fourth inning as Megan Bush led off the inning with a solo shot to deep center field for her 11th long ball of the season and giving UF the 3-0 lead.
The wily Kelsey Bruder wasn’t done yet though as she knocked the Sun Devils against the ropes again the fifth inning with her 15th home run of the year coming off of a 1-0 pitch to give the Gators the 4-0 lead.
The Sun Devil offense showed a bit of a pulse in the sixth inning as Kaylyn Castillo doubled to left field where a ground out and an illegal pitch called on Stephanie Brombacher to bring Castillo home for ASU’s first run of the weekend.
A sneaky double steal in the seventh inning from UF gave the Gators a 5-1 lead where ASU put up a rally in the bottom of the inning with their last three outs putting up three hits and taking advantage of a Florida error to bring home a run and cut it to 5-2. Though Brombacher settled in to grab the last out of ASU’s season as they sealed the 5-2 win and their third consecutive trip to the WCWS.
The loss ends ASU’s 2010 season with a final record of 44-17 overall and 3-2 in the postseason. The Sun Devils would like to thank their families, friends and fans for all the support they have received this season.