FULLERTON, Calif. -- The seventh-ranked Arizona softball team dropped a pair of games Friday on its opening day of play at the Judi Garman Classic.
The Cats were shut out by fifth-ranked Michigan 3-0 before falling to Wisconsin 7-5, suffering their second and third losses on the season to fall to 20-3.
MICHIGAN 3, ARIZONA 0
Arizona managed just five base runners against Michigan pitcher Haylie Wagner as the Wolverines shut out the Wildcats 3-0, handing them just their second loss of the year.
Arizona put a runner in scoring position just once in the game but couldn't scratch out a run. Chelsea Suitos, Kelsey Rodriguez, Lauren Young and Courtney Rodriguez notched the four hits for Arizona.
Wagner (10-0) tossed the complete-game shutout for Michigan despite striking out just one batter.
Starter Estela Pinon took the loss for Arizona to fall to 4-2 on the year. Pinon allowed two runs, one earned, on two hits with four walks and four strikeouts. Nancy Bowling allowed one run in relief. The sophomore allowed two hits and struck out a batter in her two innings of work.
Sierra Lawrence drove in two runs for Michigan on singles in the second and sixth innings. Nicole Sappingfield added an RBI single in the seventh.
WISCONSIN 7, ARIZONA 5
Arizona's late comeback bid fell just short in the nightcap, as the Wildcats rallied from five down and had the go-ahead run at the plate with no one out in the bottom of the seventh but ultimately dropped their second straight.
Wisconsin used a four-run fifth inning, a frame in which it had just one hit, to take control.
For Arizona, Mo Mercado homered twice in the game and tallied three RBI. Hallie Wilson and Chelsea Goodacre also drove in a run each in the contest.
The Wildcats used a trio of pitchers in the contest, with starter Kenzie Fowler (3-1) taking the loss. Fowler gave up five runs, four earned, on just three hits. The senior struck out a season-high seven batters but also issued a season-high six walks. Shelby Babcock and Pinon also appeared in the game, giving a run apiece.
Wisconsin scored two runs in the top of the second to take the early lead, but Arizona would scratch across runs in the bottom of the second and third frames to tie it at 2-2.
The score remained the same through four innings before Wisconsin took advantage of a few Arizona miscues in the fifth to take a 6-2 lead. Two walks and a single loaded the bases with one out for the Badgers, at which point Babcock replaced Fowler and hit the first batter she faced to bring in the go-ahead run. An error scored the next run before a walk and a wild pitch brought two more Wisconsin runs in.
The Badgers plated another run in the sixth inning off of Pinon before the Cats began their comeback bid.
Mercado hit her second homer of the day, a two-run shot to right-center to bring Arizona within three runs, before Wilson singled in pinch runner Cynthia Pelayo later in the inning to bring Arizona within two. The Cats would reload the bases later in the frame, putting the tying runs in scoring position, but could not get a two-out hit to tie the game.
In the seventh, a single and a Wisconsin error put the tying runs on base with nobody out, but Badgers pitcher Cassandra Darrah (5-5) retired the next three hitters to end the game.
