Feb. 7, 2009
TEMPE, Ariz. – With Katilin Cochran and Caylyn Carlson both going long while Hillary Bach and Megan Ellsworth held down the Devil defense Saturday as ASU collected two more wins on the season, beating Penn State 4-3 and Cal State Bakersfield 7-1. The Sun Devils are now 5-0 overall with one game remaining in the Kajikawa Classic.
Up first against the Nittany Lions Hillary Bach took the circle for the Sun Devils where she pitched the complete game effort while striking out seven and allowing only one earned run on the night as the ASU struck first with RBI doubles from Kaitlin Cochran and Ashley Muenz to put ASU up 2-0.
A costly dropped third strike let PSU back in the game as they tabbed two unearned runs on the Sun Devils to tie it up before ASU fired back in the third with two more of their own as a lead off walk to Lesley Rogers came home off Kaitlin Cochran’s blast to right center off an 1-2 pitch. PSU showed some life in the sixth inning, but Bach took back the reigns to close out the game and take her third win of the season with a final of 4-3.
Game two slated the Sun Devils against the CSUB Roadrunners where Megan Ellsworth enjoyed her collegiate debut in the circle where after giving up a longball to CSUB in the first inning settled in to pitch a gem with a final line of four hits for one earned run and six K’s.
The Sun Devil offense kept things quiet until the fourth inning when ASU capitalized on a Roadrunner error to put Krista Donnenwirth at first, only to be brought home later with a two-run blast to left field from Caylyn Carlson to take the lead. The Sun Devils hammered the point home in the sixth inning with five runs off three hits, one a two-RBI double from Jessica Mapes as ASU rolled on to a 7-1 win.
The Sun Devils will return to action tomorrow to wrap the Kajikawa Classic as they set to face the UTEP Miners at 1 p.m. in Tempe at Farrington Stadium. Games at Farrington and Tempe Sports Complext will start at 9:00 a.m.