| Feb. 6, 2005
Contact: Kyle Stephens (210) 458-4907 Arizona State edges UTSA in extra-inning thriller, 5-4 Box Score
TEMPE, Ariz. – Senior Krystal Gibson hit a two-out, two-run, game-tying home run in the top of the seventh inning, but Arizona State scored two runs in the bottom of the eight inning to escape with a 5-4 victory over the UTSA softball team Sunday afternoon at Farrington Stadium.
With the win, the Sun Devils sweep the three-game series and improve to 3-0 on the season. The Roadrunners fall to 0-3.
UTSA came back from a 3-1 deficit to tie the score on Gibson’s first long ball of the season. The Roadrunners pounded out six hits on the afternoon, including a solo home run from junior Jessica Rogers.
UTSA threatened first in the top of the second. With one out and junior Mel Torres on first, junior Jessica Els singled up the middle and advanced to second, putting runners on second and third. ASU pitcher Mindy Cowles got out of the jam with a groundout and a running catch by center fielder Valerie Sevilla just behind the infield dirt.
The Sun Devils did score in their half of the second. Sharee Zaleski lined a two-out single through the right side of the infield, plating Heidi Knabe, who reached on a two-out double.
ASU tacked on another run in the fourth behind a pair of one-out walks and an RBI single up the middle by Ciri Bryan.
UTSA got on the board in the top of the fifth as Rogers sent a two-out solo home run deep over the left field wall to pull the Roadrunners back within 2-1. Senior Krystal Gibson then drew a walk and senior Jennifer Davis followed with a single to left center that chased Cowles. Katherine Burkhart came on in relief and got out of the jam with a fly ball to right field.
The Sun Devils got the run back in the bottom half of the frame on a two-out, RBI double by Michelle Smith just past a diving Aimee Murray in short left field that scored Jen McCard, who reached on a double to center.
With UTSA down to its final out in the top of the seventh, Rogers popped up to the pitcher Burkhart, who dropped the ball on what should have been the final out of the game, setting the stage for Gibson’s blast. Gibson launched a two-strike pitch deep over the right field wall to knot the score at 3-all. The Roadrunners retired the Sun Devils in order in the bottom of the seventh, forcing extra innings.
Using the international tiebreaker rule, Murray advanced Davis to third with one out on a sacrifice bunt, who then came home on a sacrifice fly to left by Torres to put UTSA up, 4-3, heading into the bottom of the eighth.
ASU answered in the bottom of the frame scoring the tying run on a short single to right by Rhiannon Baca and the winning run on a throwing error in the infield with the bases loaded and two outs.
Burkhart struck out five in 3 1/3 innings in earning her first win of the year, despite the blown save. Freshman Amanda Nikolenko (0-2) hurled 2 2/3 in the loss.
The Roadrunners return to action on Wednesday, Feb. 9, with a doubleheader at Texas A&M. First pitch is set for 2 p.m.
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