Kenzie Fowler tossed a one-hitter as 15th-ranked Arizona shut out College of Charleston 5-0 on Sunday to complete a three-game sweep.
It was Fowler's fifth consecutive complete-game shutout. The junior, who has not allowed a run in her last 35 innings pitched, struck out eight and walked three while improving to 7-0 on the season. In her aforementioned 35 scoreless innings, Fowler has allowed just 14 hits and struck out 45 opposing batters.
The shutout was Arizona’s third of the weekend against College of Charleston and fifth straight overall. Sunday’s game was the first of the series that went the full seven innings. On the weekend, UA outhit College of Charleston 30-3 and outscored the Cougars 22-0.
Arizona’s seven hits on Sunday came off the bats of seven different players. Likewise, four of Arizona’s five runs were batted in, with the four RBIs spread among four players: Hallie Wilson, Alex Lavine, Jessica Spigner and Shelby Pendley. Pendley’s RBI came via a homer, her team-leading eighth of the season.
Arizona stole six bases in the game, doubling its previous season high of three against Southern Utah on Feb. 19. Karissa Buchanan swiped half of them, improving her team-leading total to 11.
Kristy Giragosian had College of Charleston’s lone hit on the day and all three of her team's hits on the weekend.
Stephanie Saylors took the loss for College of Charleston, dropping to 5-3 on the season. Saylors pitched the first inning and allowed three runs, then was relieved by Jen Rosene, who pitched the final six innings and allowed just two runs, one earned, on four hits the. College of Charleston fell to 9-7 on the season with the loss.
Arizona's Chelsea Suitos got things started by singling and then advancing to third with one out in the first inning. Brigette Del Ponte walked to put runners on the corners, and UA then executed a double steal, with Suitos coming home for the first run of the game. Del Ponte would later score on a single from Spigner. After pinch-runner Sam Davis was caught stealing to clear the bases, Pendley launched a homer to right-center to give the Wildcats a 3-0 lead.
In the second inning, Buchanan drew a two-out walk and stole second before Wilson brought her home with a single to left.
Arizona's bats went quiet until the sixth, when three hits brought across another run. The last of those hits, an infield single by Lavine, extended Arizona's lead to 5-0. It was Lavine's first hit and first RBI of the season.
