April 2, 2005
TEMPE, Ariz. - The 18th-ranked Arizona State University softball team (25-9, 0-2 Pac-10) fell in another tight Pac-10 game, 2-1, to sixth-ranked Stanford (25-6, 1-1 Pac-10) on Saturday night in front of 540 fans at Farrington Stadium.
Stanford gained the early 1-0 lead in the second inning when Meghan Sickler hit a led off solo home run over the center field fence off ASU starter Desiree Serrano (10-3).
In the bottom of the third inning, ASU tied the game off two hits and one Stanford error. Ashley Werschky led off the inning with a double down the first base line. Bridgette Caron then reached on an infield single that glanced off Cardinal starting pitcher Becky McCullough's (8-1) glove, allowing Werschky to advance to third. But McCullough got ASU's next batter, Michelle Smith, to line her ball to the shortstop, who then doubled up Caron off first for two outs. Mindy Cowles followed with a hard hit ball that second baseman Tricia Aggabao could not handle allowing Werschky to score.
The Cardinal regained the lead for good in the fifth inning off three hits and one ASU error. Catalina Morris opened the frame with a bunt single to third. After Serrano got one out, Stanford's Michelle Smith singled to left, moving Morris to second. Katie Burkhart then relived Serrano with runners on first and second. Leah Nelson followed with a flair to center field, but ASU's Michelle Smith could not handle the ball allowing Morris to round third and score.
ASU could not get anything going in the later innings off McCullough, who finished the game allowing only four hits and one run with three strikeouts. Serrano pitched the first four and a third innings giving up four hits and two runs, one earned with five strikeouts. Burkhart finished the final two and two thirds allowing four hits and striking out four.
Up next, the Sun Devils and Cardinal will square off one more time on Sunday at 1:00 p.m.