April 22, 2007
TEMPE, Ariz. - It was an 11 inning offensive showcase on national television Sunday afternoon and the No. 7 Sun Devil Softball Team didn't disappoint just barely edging Pac-10 foes, the 13th-ranked Oregon Beavers 8-7, with Bianca Cruz setting a new ASU single-season RBI record of 62. The Sun Devils now hold a 42-11 overall record and are 8-4 in conference play as the Beavers drop to 34-15 and 6-5.
The Sun Devils didn't waste any time jumping on the board as they tacked three on the Beavers ace, Brianne McGowan in the first before the Beavers brought in Ta'Tyana McElroy in relief to end the rout.
OSU answered in the top of the second with a solo shot by Stephanie Ewing over right center, taking a 2-2 pitch deep for her fourth longball of the season. ASU answered with a run in the bottom of the inning off an RBI single from Kaitlin Cochran to right off the first pitch she saw, to bring it to 4-1 after two. A single and a home run from Brianne McGowan in the third brought the game to 4-3 before OSU took the lead in the top of the fourth as they rattled off three hits for two runs.
The Devils answered in the bottom half though, switching the lead again with an RBI single fro Ashley Muenz and an error to bring it to 6-5 in favor of ASU after four. Both squads put another on the board in the fifth with Kristen Miller going deep for her sixth home run of the season with a solo shot to center.
The Beavers rallied back to tie it in the top of the seventh with an RBI single to right from Sherina Galvan to plate pinch runner Mindy Bean and send it to extra innings.
Burkhart and McElroy kept it even through three innings until the bottom of the 11th when a lead-off walk to Rhiannon Baca was advanced by a sac bunt and a foul fly out before Bianca Cruz stepped in for an RBI single to left to win it and break the ASU single-season RBI record of 61 set by Kaitlin Cochran last season.
The Sun Devils return to action on Tuesday with a doubleheader against UNLV on Tuesday afternoon in Tempe at Farrington Stadium. First game is set to kick off at 3 p.m.