PALM SPRINGS, Calif. -- Despite being outhit in both contests, Arizona softball swept its two games Saturday at the Cathedral City Classic, beating Fordham 3-2 and Syracuse 5-0. With the two wins, the Wildcats improved to 4-1 at the tournament and 12-4 on the year.
UA will complete its Cathedral City Classic schedule Sunday at 3 p.m. against Long Beach State.
Game 1: Arizona 3, Fordham 2
The Wildcats slipped past the Rams 3-2 in the early game despite being outhit by Fordham 7-6.
Brigette Del Ponte drove in two runs for Arizona, the first with a sac fly in the third and the second with an RBI double in the fifth.
Shelby Babcock and Kenzie Fowler tag-teamed for the victory in the circle, with Babcock getting the start and the win for UA. The sophomore allowed two runs on seven hits while walking three and striking out six in five innings of play. Fowler entered in the sixth and did not allow a hit in two innings of work to pick up the save.
Arizona scored the first run of the game in the third. Karissa Buchanan singled to begin the frame, stole second and moved to third on a Chelsea Suitos single. With one out, Buchanan beat out a throw from shallow right field on a sacrifice fly by Del Ponte.
Buchanan would cross the plate again in the fifth. As she did in the third inning, Buchanan singled and stole second to get herself in scoring position. Suitos then hit her first double of the season down the left-field line to bring in Buchanan and later scored on a Del Ponte double to give UA a 3-0 lead.
Fordham began the sixth with four consecutive singles, the last of which -- an RBI single by Gabby Luety -- chased Babcock in favor of Fowler. The junior entered with the bases loaded and no one out. Fowler would walk a second Fordham run in, but she preserved the Wildcats' lead by retiring three of the four batters she faced in the inning, stranding the tying and go-ahead runs on base.
Game 2: Arizona 5, Syracuse 0
Fowler recorded her third consecutive complete-game shutout at the Cathedral City Classic in the Wildcats' 5-0 win over the Orange.
Syracuse outhit Arizona 6-4 but could not get a runner across the plate.
Del Ponte drove in three of Arizona’s five runs on the game, boosting her RBI total to 18 on the season.
UA plated three runs on just one hit in the third inning. A Syracuse throwing error scored the first run of the inning before Buchanan and Hallie Wilson, who reached on a fielder’s choice and a walk, respectively, were advanced to second and third on a passed ball. Del Ponte took advantage with a single through the left side to bring them both home and make it 3-0.
In the fourth inning, a leadoff walk came around to score for the second straight frame. Koria, after walking, came home to score on a Shelby Pendley RBI single that gave Arizona a 4-0 lead.
Del Ponte’s third RBI of the game was a homer to center field in the fifth that gave UA a 5-0 lead.
Syracuse would load the bases in the sixth and seventh innings, as Fowler escaped both jams to preserve the win.
