May 4, 2012

Final Stats

TEMPE, Ariz. - Arizona State softball (43-5, 15-2 Pac-12) used 10 hits on Friday night to power past Utah (26-24, 1-18 Pac-12) in a 13-1 victory in five innings.

Alix Johnson went a perfect 3-for-3 at the plate with three runs scored, two doubles and one RBI. That marks the fourth time in her career she has recorded as many hits in a single game.

The Sun Devils started off strong offensively, scoring four runs in the first and second frames for an 8-0 lead. In the first, Johnson's double to left center plated Katelyn Boyd from first. A Utah miscue allowed Johnson to score three batters later to make it 2-0.

Amber Freeman and Sam Parlich would bring in the next two runs to close out the opening frame 4-0. It was déjà vu for ASU in the second, scoring four runs on three hits again. Elizabeth Caporuscio nabbed two RBI with a single to deep right center, followed by Haley Steele plating the next two on a homer to left center - her eighth of the year.

ASU wins 13-1 (5). Game two of series at 7 p.m. Saturday

-- ASU Softball (@ASUSoftball) May 5, 2012

The bottom of the fourth saw four pinch hitters do damage of their own, with the substitutes combining for two of the five runs, two walks, one hit and one RBI. Back-to-back walks for Nikole Afusia and Christina Zambrana set up Bethany Kemp for an RBI single to right center. Zambrana scored later on a wild pitch, giving the Sun Devils a 9-0 cushion.

What came next was an Annie Lockwood homer that cleared both outfield fences and brought around Boyd and Johnson for ASU's eventual final tally of 13 runs. Lockwood has connected for nine long balls on the year, and 41 in her career. After Friday's game she is now fourth all-time at ASU in the category, fifth in RBI (167) and in single season RBI she is tied for 19th with 47.

Johnson's second double of the day came in the fourth and marks her 11th on the year - making her one shy of cracking the Top 20 in the category.  

Jackie Sweet scored Utah's lone run in the top of the fifth on a homer, but stellar pitching by Dallas Escobedo combined with ASU's popping bats had the Sun Devils with the five-frame mercy rule, 13-1.

Escobedo fanned five Utes, three in the opening frame, to improve to 17-4. Naomi Amu takes the loss for Utah, moving her to 4-4.

UP NEXT:
ASU hosts game two of the series at 7 p.m. Saturday. Senior day is at noon on Sunday, come out and support your seniors in their final home Pac-12 games! Live stats can be found on the ASU schedule page, here, live radio here.

Fans better get Twitter ready Saturday. Check out @ASUSoftballand @SparkyArizonaSt for some in-game challenges. 7pm @asu @ASU_Alumni

— ASU Softball (@ASUSoftball) May 5, 2012

SENIOR DAY ON SUNDAY:
Nikole Afusia, BIS (sociology/social welfare)

Hillary Bach, MBA, undergraduate degree in business marketing 

Katelyn Boyd, family and human development

Laura Bradley, kinesiology

Talor Haro, BIS (communication and exercise wellness)

Annie Lockwood, special education and sociology

Christina Zambrana, physical education and sociology 

TICKET OFFICE PROMOTION
The first 100 fans to come through the gates each day of the Utah series will receive a 2011 National Championship commemorative ticket autographed by the Sun Devil softball team.  

CLOTHING DRIVE AT SOFTBALL, MAY 4-6 | Watch Video Here
The weekend of May 4-6 the softball team will have a table set up at Farrington Stadium to accept donations for Helen's Hope Chest throughout the weekend as the Sun Devils take on Utah in the season home finale. Senior designated player Nikole Afusia is an intern at Helen's Hope Chest - we invite you to learn more about this event here. 

VOTE FOR BOYD FOR THE LOWE'S SENIOR CLASS AWARD | Vote Here
Ten NCAA^® softball student-athletes who excel both on and off the field were selected as finalists today for the 2012 Lowe's Senior CLASS Award. Katelyn Boyd has been chosen as one of the 2012 finalist. To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence - community, classroom, character and competition. Vote for Katelyn at www.seniorclassaward.com/vote.