Softball shuts out Fresno State 4-0; squeaks past No. 19 Michigan 1-0

Arizona State softball (28-3) captured two wins in day two of the Judy Garman Classic. Game one saw the Sun Devils edge past Fresno State 4-0 and then use a Katelyn Boyd homer to beat No. 19 Michigan 1-0 in the nightcap.

Hillary Bach moved up in the ASU record books, notching her 79th career win which ranks third all-time. Bach shut out Fresno State (19-11) in game one of Friday’s action.

Katelyn Boyd tallied the lone run in ASU’s matchup against Michigan, her 13th home run in 2012. She now ranks 15th in single season home runs and is one shy of second place in career homers with 59.

GAME ONE: ARIZONA STATE 4, FRESNO STATE 0

Reminiscent of Thursday’s game against BYU, the Sun Devils used a one-inning scoring fest to get on the board for a win. The four-run frame came in the bottom of the sixth with a bases loaded situation for ASU. A Bulldog passed ball allowed Katelyn Boyd to advance home for the 1-0 lead to start it off.

What came next was a single to left by Lucy Aubrecht to plate Annie Lockwood. Nikole Afusia made it 4-0 with her two-run single to right that scored Danielle Muniz and Elizabeth Caporuscio. Bach held off Fresno State for the remainder of the game to improve to a team-best 13-0 this year. She now ranked third all-time at Arizona State in wins with 79.

This marks Bach’s eighth shutout in 11 starts – she leads the staff with a 0.57 ERA in 73.1 innings worked. Aubrecht and Afusia were tandem leading the Sun Devils offensively, Aubrecht going 2-for-3 with one RBI and Afusia tallying two RBI in her pinch hitting appearance.

GAME TWO: ARIZONA STATE 1, MICHIGAN No. 19 Michigan and ASU held the board scoreless through to the bottom of the sixth inning before Katelyn Boyd took control. Boyd put up her 13th home run of the year with a long shot to center for what would be the final score of 1-0. Dallas Escobedo earned the win to improve to 10-2 while Haylie Wagner drops to 12-4 with the loss.