Arizona (18-4) run-ruled UC Davis 8-0 in six innings and beat Iowa 6-1 to sweep its opening games at the Judi Garman Classic on Friday.
It was Arizona's first action since March 4 against College of Charleston; Arizona and Baylor were rained out last weekend in Waco.
The 13th-ranked Wildcats will play BYU and No. 10 Louisiana-Lafayette on Saturday at 1 p.m. and 3:30 p.m., respectively, weather permitting. Arizona is scheduled to conclude the Judi Garman Classic with a 9 a.m. meeting with DePaul on Sunday. Rain is forecast for both days over the weekend.
Game 1: Arizona 8, UC Davis 0 (6 innings)
Box score
Shelby Pendley drove in five runs, including a walk-off home run in the sixth, and Arizona defeated UC Davis, 8-0 in six innings in its Judi Garman Classic opener.
Shelby Babcock tossed a shutout in the circle; it was Arizona's sixth consecutive shutout and ninth in eleven games. Babcock allowed three hits to the Aggies in her first action since tossing a five-inning no-hitter against College of Charleston on March 3rd. Babcock improved to 8-4 with the victory.
UA scored its eight runs on seven hits, three of which came off the bat of Pendley. The shortstop also had a pair of fielding errors, breaking a stretch of 13 consecutive games without an error; Arizona led the nation with a .988 fielding percentage entering the weekend.
The Cats began the scoring in the first when Pendley singled off the pitcher's glove to score Hallie Wilson, who led off the inning with her 10th double of the season.
In the second, a hit-by-pitch, error and walk loaded the bases with no out. Wilson was hit by a pitch to drive in a run and Chelsea Suitos singled home a pair of runs to give Arizona a 4-0 lead. With two on and no one out, the heart of Arizona's order couldn't add to the lead as UC Davis pitcher Melanie Davis got Arizona's 3-4-5 hitters in order to end the inning.
The Cats plated two more in the fourth on a two-RBI single off the right field wall from Pendley.
Pendley's final two RBI came on a walk-off home run in the sixth to left-center. It was the freshman's team-leading ninth homer and gave her 31 RBI on the season, also a team best.
Game 2: Arizona 6, Iowa 1
Box score
Arizona took advantage of three Iowa errors, which allowed the Cats to score three unearned runs, and UA downed Iowa 6-1 in the nightcap.
Kenzie Fowler was perfect through three and allowed just three hits and struck out nine Hawkeyes. The fourth inning run scored off a Johnnie Dowling groundout was the first run scored against Fowler in 38 innings and the first run surrendered by a Wildcat pitcher in seven games. Fowler improved to a 8-0 with the win.
Lini Koria hit her fifth home run of the season with a long fly to left-center in the seventh inning. Wilson recorded the other Arizona RBI with a sixth-inning single up the middle. The other four Arizona runs were scored as results of Iowa defensive mishaps. Suitos singled and stole second in the first. Iowa catcher Liz Watkins attempted to pick off Suitos at second and threw the ball into centerfield, allowing Suitos to score the first run of the game.
UA would a run in the third when Hallie Wilson scored from second on a fielding error by Iowa second baseman Bradi Wall.
Iowa's first base-runner of the game reached in the fourth when Fowler walked the first batter of the inning. One batter after her perfecto-bid was broken up, Iowa broke up her no-hit-bid with an infield single by Ashley Akers. After a sacrifice moved both runners into scoring position, Dowling registered an RBI groundout. A walk and HBP loaded the bases, but Fowler got out of the jam.
Arizona got the run back in the top of the fifth. Karissa Buchanan led off the frame with a single and would later score on an Iowa fielding error.
Chelsea Goodacre led off the bottom of the sixth with a double and was replaced by pinch-runner Sam Davis. The freshman moved to third and scored on a pair of wild pitches to give Arizona a 4-1 lead. The second wild pitch moved a runner into scoring position for Wilson, who singled her home. The Wilson RBI chased Iowa starter Chelsea Lyon in favor of Kayla Massey who got the next two Wildcats out.
Koria's homer in the seventh gave Arizona a 6-1 lead.
Fowler retired the final seven batters she faced.
