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No. 5 ASU Upset, It's Up to Washington

No. 5 Arizona State (50-12) ended its season Saturday night -- technically Sunday morning -- losing 2-0 to No. 8 Michigan (51-12) in an elimination game. The first pitch wasn't thrown until nearly midnight.

Michigan will move ahead to play No. 11 Washington in another elimination game on Sunday at 12:30 p.m. PT.

It was Sierra Romero's two-run homer to right field in the top of the third, which scored Lyndsay Doyle, which won the game for the Michigan Wolverines. Doyle walked and advanced to second on Nicole Sappingfield's (2-for-3) sac bunt.

ASU's Mackenzie Popescue entered early in the top of the third to relieve Dallas Escobedo (30-6), who had allowed two runs on three hits, walked four and struck out three in 2.1 innings. Popescue followed with 4.2 scoreless innings, striking out four, walking one and letting up three hits.

Bases were loaded for Arizona State in the third and fifth, but groundouts ended ASU's chances of scoring. The Sun Devils stranded all nine runners that reached base.

It was the fourth time in ASU history that the Sun Devils advanced to the WCWS without earning a win, finishing 0-2 after sweeping the Tempe Regional 3-0 and the Tempe Super Regional 2-0. ASU was shutout for the first time this season and the first time since March 24, 2012 in a Super Regional game against LSU.

Michigan sophomore Sara Driesenga (31-8) threw the complete game, allowing zero runs on seven hits, striking out five and walking three.

Originally scheduled to start at 8:30 p.m. CT, the first pitch wasn't thrown until 11:54 p.m. CT, following the 15-inning, five-hour first elimination game in which No. 2 Florida beat No. 14 Nebraska, 9-8.