Softball collects third straight Pac-10 sweep
<p>With <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/w-softbl/mtt/boyd_katelyn00.html">K… Boyd</a> and <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/w-softbl/mtt/castillo_kaylyn00.html… Castillo</a> going three-for-four at the plate and <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/w-softbl/mtt/popescue_mackenzie00.h… Popescue</a> dealing in the circle, giving up only four hits, the top-ranked ASU Softball team collected their third straight Pac-10 series sweep Sunday afternoon, downing No. 13 Washington 6-2. The win moves Popescue to 13-2 on the year as ASU improves to 48-5 overall and 15-3 in Pac-10 play with a two game lead with only three left to play. UW drops to 32-13 overall and 7-11 in conference action as well.<br /><br />The Sun Devils wasted no time in getting the party started as they put three on the board in the first inning with 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> before an illegal pitch plated Castillo to make it 3-0. While Popescue sliced and diced through the Huskies line-up for six scoreless innings ASU got back at it again in the fifth inning with two more runs coming in off a single to right field from <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/w-softbl/mtt/lockwood_annie00.html"… Lockwood</a> again to make it 5-0.<br /><br />An RBI single from <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/w-softbl/mtt/urfer_mandy00.html">Ma… Urfer</a> in the seventh made it 6-0 before the Huksies had something to say about it with a single from Kaitlin Inglesby with one out in the seventh setting up a two-run shot to center field from Shawna Wright to make it 6-2. Popescue locked it up after that though to cruise to ASU’s 48th win on the year and put ASU one game from clinching a piece of the Pac-10 title and two from winning it outright.<br /><br />The Sun Devils will look to seal their second-ever Pac-10 title next weekend as they return home for the final weekend of regular season play, hosting the Stanford Cardinal Thursday-Saturday in Tempe at Farrington Stadium.</p>