Feb. 19, 2010
TEMPE, Ariz. – A near-flawless no-hitter from Megan Elliott along with 28 runs scored for the Sun Devils wasn’t enough to give the No. 5 Sun Devil Softball team a perfect day as they topped Rutgers 19-0 in five innings before falling in a tough come-from-behind win 10-9 in nine innings to the Illinois State Redbirds. Sam Parlich took the loss in the second game as ASU finished Day One of the Littlewood Classic with a 6-2 overall record.
Game one was all Megan Elliott as she took the circle with authority, giving the Scarlet Knights little story to tell after as she posted a no-hitter and found herself one error from a perfect game on the night, finishing the game in 22 batters.
Her offense came to party as well, plastering 16 hits on the board for 19 runs in the game with seven of those for extra base hits with four doubles, a triple and two home runs in the game as ASU rocked steady to a 19-0 win in five innings with an error allowing the only base running in the game.
Game two saw Hillary Bach take to the circle looking to protect her impeccable 2-0 record, which she set about on the right path to for four shut-out innings before allowing one run in the five and one in the sixth. The damage looked controllable for ASU though as they posted seven runs on ISU in the first four innings with Katelyn Boyd and Katie Crabb both collecting two doubles as well as Boyd launching her sixth long ball of the season to pull ahead 7-0 after two.
ILS wasn’t satisfied with the slow progress of two runs over two innings though as they pieced together the puzzle that was ASU’s pitching, rallying up to put four hits in the seventh along with a costly ASU error to put five runs up in what would have been their last ups but instead tied it up to send the game to extras.
Sam Parlich came in for relief with two outs in the seventh and remained in the game for the duration as she got through a flawless eighth inning, which ISU’s defense matched before the ninth before two lead-off singles and a huge double to right center gave ISU two runs before an error allowed another, giving the Redbirds the lead.
While ASU made a valiant attempt in the bottom of the inning with a two-RBI single for Annie Lockwood, the effort fell short as two ground outs and a run down later for the last out sealed ASU’s fate in the 10-9 loss.
The Sun Devils and Littlewood Classic roll on tomorrow as ASU sets to face the Texas State Bobcats tomorrow at 5 p.m. followed by the Iowa Hawkeyes at 7 p.m. in Tempe at ASU’s Farrington Stadium.