March 24, 2006
Tempe, Ariz. - The 9th-ranked Arizona State Softball Team (34-3) added two more wins to their tab as they swept the UNLV Rebels (13-20) in a doubleheader Friday afternoon at Farrington Stadium, taking the first game 3-1 and the second 10-1.
Powered with their 17 hits on the day, while only allowing three to UNLV, the Sun Devils advanced their winning-streak to six games while Katie Burkhart and Desiree Serrano each picked up a win while throwing a combined 14 strikeouts and allowing only one run apiece to keep the Rebels at bay.
In the first game in front of an attendance of over 800 for `Field Trip Day', ASU remained quiet until the third inning when they tacked two on the scoreboard after a lead-off walk to Kim Zadrozny was plated off of Kristen Miller's home run over the right field wall. UNLV rallied back in the fourth with Shannon Crisp's solo shot to left field, but the Sun Devils were able to retaliate in the sixth when a lead-off walk to Kaitlin Cochran was brought home off a single to right from Ashley Werschky.
In the second game of the series, the bats came alive for ASU as they posted 12 hits off of the Rebels and drove in ten runs with it. The Sun Devils came out swinging in the first with a lead-off bunt single from Jessica Mapes who was then hit home off a double from Bridgette Caron to give ASU the lead at 1-0. The Sun Devils caught fire in the second inning though, as they put six on the board with three singles, a double and a three-run home run over right center from Mindy Cowles, boosting ASU 7-0.
ASU added on another run in the third, which UNLV answered in the top of the fourth, as they headed to the fifth inning where ASU closed the door on the Rebels adding two more runs off of two more singles and an error to wrap the game up in five innings with a final of 10-1.
Up next, the Sun Devils will face-off against the UTEP Miners (11-18) in a doubleheader on Wednesday, March 29 in Tempe at Farrington Stadium with a start time for the first game at 5 p.m.