May 16, 2009
Tempe, Ariz. - Hillary Bach pitched a 6-hit shutout and All-American Kaitlin Cochran had a pair of Arizona State's nine hits Saturday night as the Sun Devils ended Cal State Fullerton's softball season with a 7-0 victory in the NCAA Regional in Tempe.
Bach (26-9) walked two and struck out five Titans (30-21), who left 8 runners on base through the first four innings and failed to hit a home run after belting seven in their first two games of the tournament.
Arizona State (42-17) advances to Sunday's finals against LSU (34-16-1), which beat the No. 10 national seed Sun Devils earlier Saturday, 10-2.
Krystal Heinle (10-8) went the first two innings in the circle for Fullerton and a 3-run second inning beat her. A walk to Krista Donnenwirth was followed by consecutive doubles to right center field by Ashley Muenz and Katie Crabb that made it a 2-0 game. Crabb moved up on an error and scored on a ground ball to first.
Ari Cervantes relieved in the third inning and was tagged for one run in the fifth and three more in the sixth. Two infield hits, a sacrifice and a ground ball got a run home in the fifth. In the sixth, a double by Nikole Afasia, a walk, a single by Jessica Mapes and a Fullerton error produced two runs. Donnenwirth doubled in the final tally.