The Arizona softball team needed only six innings Sunday to mercy Cal State Northridge 8-0 behind Shelby Babcock’s three-hit shutout.
Arizona ended the Kajikawa Classic 3-3, with dominating victories over McNeese State, Syracuse and Cal State Northridge and one-run losses to Georgia Tech, No. 20 Nebraska and No. 17 Texas A&M.
On Sunday, the Wildcats got out of the gate quickly, scoring four runs in the bottom of the first.
Babcock recorded her second win of the season, pitching six solid innings to earn the shutout. The sophomore's seven strikeouts were one off her career high, a mark she tied the previous night against Texas A&M. Babcock improved to 2-3 on the season with the win.
Kristen Arriola tallied three RBIs, with two come on a pair of RBI walks, the latter of which would end the game. Chelsea Gooadacre added two RBIs without recording a hit in the contest.
Arizona was helped by a pair of Matador errors that produced three unearned runs.
The Cats got four runs across in the bottom of the first on just one hit. Hallie Wilson got the frame going with a single to right, and after a couple of outs, Matadors starter Alexa Limon loaded the bases with a walk and a hit batter. She would repeat the sequence with a pair of RBI free passes, the first a walk to Arriola and the second a beanball to Goodacre. A two-run error by Cal State Northridge second baseman Jaci Carlsen would bring home Arizona’s third and fourth runs of the frame.
The teams traded zeros until the bottom of the fifth, when Arizona put three more runs on the scoreboard. A one-out double by Lini Koria put two runners in scoring position for Arriola, who singled home a run. A two-run groundout by Goodacre cleared the bases with two out for Arizona, now leading 7-0. Freshmen Shelby Pendley and Wilson then recorded hits to go along with a Baillie Kirker walk to load the bases as Arizona attempted to mount a two-out rally to end the game. Chelsea Suitos would ground out, though, to end the threat.
UA would load the bases again in the sixth, this time with no outs, and Arriola drew a walk to drive in the mercy run and give the Wildcats the 8-0 win.
