April 19, 2003

Box Score

TUCSON - Arizona slipped past Arizona State, 2-1, in college softball Saturday night at Hillenbrand Stadium in a closely played game featuring the freshman pitching of Sun Devil Desiree Serrano and the Wildcats' Alicia Hollowell.

Hollowell (26-3) gave up two hits in winning in relief. Serrano (17-9) held top-ranked Arizona to five hits.

UA squandered a big opportunity in the first, stranding three of the nine runners it left on base during the game. Autumn Champion led off with a bunt single, Courtney Fossatti walked, and ASU pitcher Desiree Serrano intentionally walked national home run leader Lovie Jung to load the bases. But Serrano got out of the jam by striking out Mackenzie Vandergeest and Jackie Coburn and getting UA starting pitcher Wendy Allen on a pop foul.

Phelan Wright led off the ASU second with a home run to left field to give the Sun Devils a 1-0 lead. A hit batsman and a single by Cheryl Evans put runners on first and second, but third baseman Coburn turned a 5-3 double play.

Singles by Jen McCard and Jennifer Forner in the top of the third helped chase Allen, who's been troubled by a hand injury most of the year, and UA brought in Hollowell for her fourth relief appearance of the year. Hollowell got a groundball out, intentionally walked Wright and struck out Adriana Garcia to end the rally.

The Cats (41-4, 10-1 in Pac-10 action) tied the score with an unearned run in the fourth. Lisha Ribellia drew a two-out walk, moved to third on an error and scored on Crystal Farley's single up the middle.

UA took the lead in the fifth. Jung walked, and to third when Serrano threw Vandergeest's sarifice bunt into center field trying to get Jung at seconde. Coburn hit a sac fly to give UA the 2-1 lead.

ASU (28-15, 5-6 in league play) threatened in the top of the sixth when Hollowell walked Kara Brun and Wright, got two outs, then walked Cheryl Evans to load the bases. A high Hollowell pitch got past catcher Vandergeest, but she chased it to the screen and flipped it to Hollowell for the tag on a sliding Brun at the plate.