TUCSON, Ariz. -- The Arizona softball team swept its first two games of the Hillenbrand Invitational on Friday, defeating UAB 7-0 and North Dakota 14-2. With the wins, the Wildcats improved to 5-3 on the season.
Game 1: Arizona 7, UAB 0
Behind a one-hit shutout by Kenzie Fowler, the Wildcats downed UAB 7-0.
Fowler earned her first win of the season in her first complete-game effort. The junior struck out 11 batters and retired 15 of the final 16 batters she faced; the only Blazer to reach base did so on a UA error in the seventh that was sandwiched between three Fowler strikeouts in the frame.
UA scored all seven runs on home runs, as Kristen Arriola hit a grand slam in the third and Jessica Spigner hit a three-run home run in the sixth.
The Cats were assisted by eight walks issued by UAB pitchers. Leigh Streetman took the loss, falling to 1-1 on the season for the Blazers (4-2).
Three free passes by each pitcher loaded the bases in each half of the first. Neither club could take advantage, though, as the teams traded zeros in the inning.
UA would not record its first hit until the bottom of the third, when Lini Koria recorded an infield hit that followed two Streetman walks to load the bases. Kristen Arriola made her pay with a grand slam to left field, her first homer of the season.
A walk and an error in the sixth put two runners on for Spigner, who went deep to left for her third home run of the season to put Arizona ahead 7-0.
Game 2: Arizona 14, North Dakota 2 (5 innings)
Shelby Pendley used a pair of home runs and a double to drive in eight runs as UA needed just five innings to down North Dakota 14-2. The Fighting Sioux dropped to 3-3 on the year.
Arizona scored five runs in each of the first two innings to put the game out of reach early; Pendley was responsible for three of the five runs in both innings, hitting a three-run homer in each frame.
Shelby Babcock allowed two runs on five hits while improving to 3-3 on the season. Babcock, the Pac-12’s leader in strikeouts, struck out seven of the 19 batters she faced.
Hallie Wilson recorded her first of her two doubles on the night (adding to her league-leading total of seven on the season) to lead off the game. A pair of free passes would load the bases, and Spigner then drove in Wilson with a sac fly. A Lini Koria RBI single was followed by the first three-run jack by Pendley. Arizona’s five runs in the bottom of the first were in response to the Fighting Sioux’s run in the top half, which came courtesy of a Brittany Baker RBI.
Similar to the first inning, Wilson began the second with a double to right-center and Spigner drove her in with a productive out. Koria then singled, Arriola was hit by a pitch and Pendley went yard to right field to give UA a 10-1 advantage in the second.
Classmates Pendley and Chelsea Goodacre each drove in a run in the fourth as a part of the Wildcats’ four-run frame.
