Sun Devils escape trouble, sweep UNLV

Elliott captures both wins of double header

 by Steven Falkenhagen
 published on Tuesday, April 15, 2008

John Battaglia / THE STATE PRESS

SCOOPED: ASU freshman infielder Mandy Urfer fields a ground ball at first base for an out during the nightcap of Monday’s double header against UNLV at Farrington Field.

It wasn't pretty, but the ASU softball team got the job done on Monday.

The No. 2 Sun Devils swept the UNLV Rebels in an afternoon double-header, first by winning a 6-5 nail-biter, and then by relying on their bats and solid relief pitching to win the second game 14-7.

In the first game, sophomore pitcher Megan Elliott (16-0) took the mound against UNLV senior pitcher Heather Slettvet (2-10) and the Rebels got on the board right away.

Junior center fielder Brittany Bolinger reached base after striking out when Sun Devil senior catcher Kristen Miller dropped the third strike, and her throw to first hit Bolinger in the helmet. Bolinger got to second on the play. Two batters later, UNLV sophomore shortstop Jaci Hull, a local product from Scottsdale's Horizon High School, hit a double to score Bolinger.

The Sun Devils answered back in the bottom of the first.

With two outs and on a 3-2 pitch, ASU junior center fielder Kaitlin Cochran reached first base on a single to UNLV junior third baseman Brittany Meade. ASU's RBI leader, freshman third baseman Krista Donnenwirth, then added two more to her stats by launching a home run over the left-field fence.

The Rebels regained the lead in the top of the third inning after senior outfielder Stephanie Bean singled and Hull came through with a two-run home run over the right-field fence.

UNLV also added runs in the fourth and fifth innings to stand ahead 5-2.

But the Sun Devils began to stage their comeback in the bottom of the fifth inning. Cochran came up with the bases loaded and no outs and hit a single to left field to score a run. Donnenwirth followed Cochran's at-bat with a sacrifice to left field that cut UNLV's lead to 5-4.

ASU then got two more off of Slettvet in the sixth inning to take the lead.

After freshman first baseman Mandy Urfer was hit by a pitch and senior right fielder Jackie Vaquez walked, senior second baseman Mindy Cowles hit a double to center field to score Urfer and tie the game. Donnenwirth came up with the bases loaded and one out and hit a groundball to Meade, who touched the bag and then threw home. But Vasquez was ruled safe at home because she was forced out, not tagged out.

ASU senior pitcher Katie Burkhart (25-3) entered the game in the seventh inning and didn't allow a run to earn her second save of the season.

In the second game, the Sun Devils sent junior pitcher Amanda Nesbitt (5-0) to the mound against UNLV sophomore pitcher Stephanie Bregante (12-13).

It was Nesbitt's first start since a 13-1 five-inning victory on March 25 against Marshall, and she never looked quite comfortable, having never found command of the strike zone during the outing.

She lasted just two innings and gave up six hits that led to seven runs.

But Nesbitt's counterpart on UNLV didn't look much better. Bregante allowed three runs on five hits in one inning of work. Freshman pitcher Traci Odegard (6-4) was called in to try to preserve a 3-3 tie in the bottom of the second, to no avail. Odegard took the loss, giving up six earned runs on nine hits in one inning of work.

By the time junior pitcher Ashley Arnett (1-0) entered the game in the third inning, ASU was leading 12-5 on its way to a 14-7 victory.

Elliott did a superb job in relief, pitching five innings, while allowing only three hits and no runs to score.

After playing six games in six days, the Sun Devils will take a day off Tuesday, before getting back to the field to prepare for another big conference weekend. ASU will host in-state rival UA on Friday and Saturday. Friday's game will start at 7 p.m, and Saturday's game will start at 1 p.m. Record crowds are expected.

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