March 12, 2006
- The 2006 NIS Tournament wrapped up Sunday in with the #10 Devils adding two more wins onto their record as they take down the Iowa Hawkeyes 3-0 and the San Jose Spartans 11-0 as the Sun Devils wrap the weekend with a 26-1 record.
In their first game and fourth meeting against Iowa, the Devils came out swinging, as they jumped to a 1-0 lead quickly in the first with a single from Jackie Vasquez to short getting knocked around for a run with a walk to Mindy Cowles and a huge single from Kaitlin Cochran to boost the Devils 1-0 over the Hawkeyes by the bottom of the first.
The Devils struck again in the third as a throwing error from the Hawkeye third-baseman allowed Jackie Vasquez to get on, after which Kaitlin Cochran smashed a huge triple down the right field line to score Vasquez.
The Devils were unable to deliver though as they left the bases loaded by the end of the inning with the score set at 2-0.
ASU kept the Hawkeyes quiet on offense with solid pitching from Desiree Serrano coupled with some great field plays.
The Devils tacked on another run in the fifth after a bunt single by Cochran was advanced around the bases with a walk to Ashley Werschky followed by a perfectly laid-down sacrifice bunt from pinch-hitter, Bridgette Caron to place runners on second and third.
Rhiannon Baca stepped up next with a huge hit to right-field for a sacrifice fly driving home Kaitlin Cochran, giving the Devils their final run on the day.
Serrano on the day allowed only four hits while sitting down eleven Hawkeyes on strikes, as the Devils shut out the Hawkeyes and took their fourth win over them on the season 3-0.
In the Devils' last game of the NIS Tournament, ASU faced off against the host-school, the San Jose State Spartans who were 10-13 coming into today's match-up.
The Devils scored first in the bottom of the first as a lead-off single from Michelle Smith, was hit home after stealing second, advanced to third with a bunt single from Vasquez and a single to left-field from Kaitlin Cochran.
The Devil defense kept the Spartans scoreless through..................as in the first the Devils sat down the Spartans in order, while Katie Burkhart struck out the side in the second and third innings.
The Devils were a threat to add another run to the board in the third as Michelle Smith made it on with a single to the shortstop followed with another stolen base, putting her tally at 25 on the season.
Jackie Vasquez stepped up to hit a single through the left side where Smith was thrown out while trying to take home with a throw from the center-fielder to the catcher.
The Devil offense sparked up again in the fourth inning as Ashley Werschky was hit by a pitch leading-off.
Up next for the Devils, shortstop, Mindy Cowles off an 1-2 count crushed a ball off the Spartans pitcher, Nicole Luna-Pickens over the left-field wall to add two more to the board.
ASU was nowhere near done though as Rhiannon Baca walked followed with a single from Heidi Knabe and Bianca Cruz to load the bases.
Bridgette Caron stepped in the box next to hit in a run off a ground out to second-base, followed with a huge triple from Katie Cochran to right-center to drive in three more, and with Cochran left on third, Ashley Werschky singled to right field to drive home yet another run for the Devils as they had seven runs off seven hits in the top of the fourth.
With the score at 8-0 heading into the fifth, the Devil offense was unstoppable again as they added another three runs in the top of the fifth with hits from Knabe, Cruz, Caron and Trevino, giving the Devils a final score of 11-0 over the San Jose Spartans in five innings.
In the second game, Katie Burkhart picked up win number 11 on the season as she threw a no-hitter and was one walked batter away from a perfect game and tallied 11 strikeouts on the day.
The Devils will head home to to gear up for Tuesday night's doubleheader against Baylor at home at Farrington Stadium, the first game is set to start at 3 p.m.