Sun Devils thump Wildcats

 by Steven Falkenhagen
 published on Thursday, April 10, 2008

Sam Shumaker / The Daily Wildcat

SLAP STICK: Junior outfielder Jessica Mapes hits the ball during ASU’s 8-1 victory over UA in Tucson.

They did it!

It took 17 years, but they finally did it.

The ASU (42-2, 6-0 Pac-10) softball team, ranked No. 2 in the USA Softball/ESPN.com poll, beat the No. 7 UA Wildcats (27-11, 4-3 Pac-10) in Tucson for the first time in 17 years. And it was the Sun Devils' first victory at Hillenbrand Stadium, which opened in 1993. The final outcome was a decisive 8-1 victory.

A key, as has often been the case this season, was the pitching effort from senior Katie Burkhart (23-1). Burkhart threw a one-run, three-hit complete game and struck out 12 UA batters. Burkhart's run was unearned.

Sun Devil coach Clint Myers was effusive with praise for the team's accomplishment.

"We stuck to our plan and the girls executed it to near perfection," Myers said by phone following the game. "We played great defense and our hitters capitalized on pitching mistakes. It didn't hurt to hit four home runs either."

"We are going to enjoy the drive back to ASU."

The Sun Devil offense provided ample run support, scoring three runs in the first inning, two in the second, one in the fifth and then two more in the seventh off UA senior pitcher Taryne Mowatt (16-8).

The four home runs were the most Mowatt has ever allowed in a single game.

The offensive star of the game was ASU senior shortstop Mindy Cowles, who hit two home runs, one in the fifth inning and one in the seventh.

The big drive of the game came in the first inning off the bat of ASU freshman third baseman Krista Donnenwirth, who hit a blast over the left-field fence to score junior centerfielder Kaitlin Cochran and senior left fielder Jackie Vasquez. That set the tone of the game, and ASU never looked back.

UA scored its only run of the game in the bottom of the first inning. With freshman outfielder Brittany Lastrapes on at second base with two outs, junior first baseman Sam Banister hit a single to Cowles who committed an error, which allowed Lastrapes to score.

The Wildcat bats were silent the rest of the night, as the only other hit was another single by Lastrapes.

The Sun Devils added two runs in the second inning with the help of an error by UA sophomore shortstop K'Lee Arredondo. ASU junior left fielder Jessica Mapes led the inning by reaching first base on Arredondo's error. Cochran singled to reach base for the second inning in a row, and then Vasquez moved both runners into scoring position with a sacrifice groundball to Banister. Donnenwirth earned another RBI with a groundball back to Mowatt, scoring Mapes and moving Cochran to third. Senior catcher Kristen Miller drove Cochran home with a single to left field, plating another unearned run.

Reach the reporter at: steven.falkenhagen@asu.edu.