Softball sends seniors out with 13-5 victory against Utah
The Arizona State softball team (45-5, 17-2 Pac-12) wrapped up its regular home season, effectively sweeping the Utah Utes (26-26, 1-20 Pac-12) with a 13-5 victory in six innings on Sunday.
Senior Katelyn Boyd went 4-for-5 on the afternoon, notching three doubles in the contest, which was a personal single-game best. Her second double of the game made her first overall in career doubles in the Sun Devil record books, with 56, and tied for 13th in single-season marks with 13.
Also on the double frenzy over the weekend was Alix Johnson, who went 4-for-5 with six RBI on Sunday. Johnson had a trio of doubles against the Utes which bumps her season tally to 12, which ties her at 20th in single season records.
Dallas Escobedo is now tied for 19th in single season record with the victory, and is 19-4. Pitcher Mariah Ramirez takes the loss and falls to 3-6.
The Utes came running out of the gate to get their first lead of the game and of the weekend, as Katelyn Elliott lifted a solo shot past the left field wall. Two at-bats later, with Whitney Holm on first, Jackie Sweet launched her second homer of the season to pull Utah to a 3-0 lead.
Arizona State then scored its first run of the game in the bottom of the frame, as senior Katelyn Boyd wheeled home on a sacrifice fly by Annie Lockwood for a 3-1 score. Utah's Elliott widened the lead with her second home run of the game, pulling the score to 4-1 in the top of the third.
Boyd became the official all-time leader in career doubles in the bottom of the third inning. She knocked in the 55th double of her tenure, surpassing Sun Devil alum Kaitlin Cochran's 54 which was set in 2009. She came around later on a miscue, cutting the lead to 4-2.
In the fourth, Boyd tacked on to her count with yet another double that drove in Talor Haro, just before Johnson lifted her 10th home run of the year, a three-run long shot that gave the Sun Devils the 6-4 lead. Johnson then pushed the Devils even further, knocking in two runs on a double in the fifth for an 8-4 score.
Elliott's third jimmy jack of the game came in the top of the sixth, cutting the lead to only three runs, 8-5, but it was not enough as senior Christina Zambrana rocketed a three-RBI home run in the bottom of the sixth to make it 11-5. Laura Bradley came in as a pinch hitter and notched one RBI of her own before coming around on Alix Johnson's single to end the game with a final score of 13-5 in six.
ASU softball's 2012 senior class ranks third all-time at ASU in win percentage (.813, 196-45) behind 1973 (.842, 48-9) and 2011 (.828, 217-45). In the nation, the Sun Devil seniors are third of all 2012 graduating classes only behind Florida (1st, 212-37, .851) and Alabama (2nd, 205-39, .840).*Stats recorded as of 4 p.m. PT.
UP NEXT:
ASU softball makes the trip to California to close out the Pac-12 and regular season schedule from May 10-12. Live stats will be available on the ASU schedule page for all games of the series, here.
In partnership with the NFCA and the American Cancer Society, the California softball team is set to host its inaugural StrikeOut Cancer game on May 11 against Arizona State. At that game, the Golden Bears and Sun Devils will don pink hair ribbons and encourage all fans to wear pink. Those fans who do wear pink will receive giveaways such as Silly Bandz and foam sticks. Since starting the StrikeOut Cancer initiative more than 10 years ago, the NFCA has raised thousands of dollars to support the fight against cancer.
VOTE FOR BOYD FOR THE LOWE'S SENIOR CLASS AWARD | Vote Here
Ten NCAA® softball student-athletes who excel both on and off the field were selected as finalists today for the 2012 Lowe's Senior CLASS Award. Katelyn Boyd has been chosen as one of the 2012 finalist. To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence - community, classroom, character and competition. Vote for Katelyn at www.seniorclassaward.com/vote