April 23, 2003
TEMPE, Ariz. - In front of a season-high and second all-time record crowd of 1,579 at Farrington Stadium, top-ranked Arizona (42-4; 11-1 Pac-10) scored two runs in the top of the seventh inning to break a 2-2 tie as they went on to top 12th-ranked Arizona State (28-16; 5-7 Pac-10), 4-2, Wednesday night.
Both teams exchanged runs in the opening inning of the game. With runners on first and second, Mackenzie Vandergeest hit the ball into right field, scoring Courtney Fossatti, but Vandergeest was also thrown out at first on the play by right fielder Valerie Sevilla. ASU answered in the bottom of the inning with a run of their own. Kristin Farber opened the frame with a single, Sevilla then put down a sacrifice, moving Farber to second. After Kara Brun was walked, Farber and Brun both advanced a base on a wild pitch by UA's Alicia Hollowell (28-3). Phelan Wright then hit a sacrifice fly to right field, scoring Farber.
In the third inning, UA's Fossatti and Vandergeest hooked up again as Vangergesst singled to right, driving in Fossatti. Again, ASU would answer the run in the fourth inning when Wright launched her 13th home run of the year over the right field fence.
Desiree Serrano (17-10) then entered the game for starter Ashley Werschky, who worked the first three innings, allowing four hits and one earned run with two strikeouts. Serrano held the Wildcats at bay with out a hit until the seventh inning. Crystal Farley reached on an infield single, but was then forced out on a fielder's choice by Fossatti. After intentially walking Lovie Jung for the third time, Vandergeest, who came into the game hitting 0.74 in the Pac-10, flared a shot into center field that a diving Farber could get to as both runners came around to score.
Hollowell finished off the ASU seventh in order as she ended the game, allowing three hits and two runs with nine strikeouts. Serrano went four innings, limiting UA to two hits and two runs with three strikeouts.
Up next, the Sun Devils will jump on a plane and head to Corvallis, Oregon to take on Oregon State on Friday at 2:00 p.m.