(TAMPA, FL) Alyssa Palomino-Cardoza (19) and Jessie Harper (18) finished 1-2 in the Pac-12 in home runs a season ago. They picked off right where they left off on Opening Day 2019. The junior All-Americans each homered twice, supporting two complete-game masterpieces by pitchers Taylor McQuillin and Alyssa Denham in Arizona’s season-opening sweep of 2018 NCAA Tournament teams, No. 19 Michigan (2-1) and South Florida (4-1).
The seventh-ranked Cats now turn their attention to Saturday’s doubleheader, which gets going at 10:45 a.m. MST/12:45 p.m. MST vs. No. 5 Florida, who will become UA’s first top-five opponent on opening weekend since 2008 (#3 Texas A&M; L, 2-3). The Wildcats wrap up Saturday’s action at 3:45 p.m. MST/5:45 p.m. EST vs. Illinois State.
Game 1: #7 Arizona 2, #18 Michigan 1
An Alyssa Palomino-Cardoza home run and a complete-game gem from Taylor McQuillin led the No. 7 Wildcats to a season-opening victory over 19th-ranked Michigan in the first game of the day at the USF Opening Weekend Invitational in Tampa, Florida.
McQuillin (1-0) was brilliant in her first start of her senior season, allowing one run on four hits in a complete-game effort. She struck out seven and walked two in the game. McQuillin had allowed just one hit in the game through five innings until Michigan put a run on the scoreboard with three singles in the sixth.
Michigan’s Alex Storako (1-1) was charged the loss after giving up two runs on three hits in her first collegiate start. She walked five over 2.0 innings and gave up three hits, including the Palomino-Cardoza home run. The 2018 NCAA wins leader, Meghan Beaubien, pitched the final four innings and did not allow a run on three hits.
Palomino-Cardoza and Dejah Mulipola each had two hits in the game for the Cats; Malia Martinez and Ivy Davis had the other two singles for the Cats.
UA’s win was a significant one for Arizona head coach Mike Candrea, who closed the gap from nine wins to eight in his chase to become the NCAA’s all-time winningest head coach. His 1,564 victories trail only Michigan’s Carol Hutchins (1,572).
Arizona’s victory marked the first season-opening win vs. a top-20 opponent since beating No. 13 Alabama, 8-2, to open the 2002 season.
Game 2: #7 Arizona 4, South Florida 1
For the eighth time in her career, junior shortstop Jessie Harper hit multiple home runs, a pair of solo shots in the third and seventh innings, while Alyssa Palomino-Cardoza hit her second homer of the season to support a complete-game, career-best 11-strikeout performance Alyssa Denham in the circle. The Wildcats defeated the host of the USF Opening Weekend Invitational, 4-1, in front of 1,682 fans at USF Softball Stadium to close day 2 of the event.
Denham (1-0) was dominant in her first appearance of 2019, allowing just one run on three USF hits over seven innings. The junior struck out a career-most 11 and walked just two in the complete-game effort.
The top of the UA order carried the Wildcats offensively. The top four in the Arizona batting lineup combined to go 7-for-14 (.500), including two-hit games from Palomino-Cardoza, Harper and Mulipola; Palomino-Cardoza and Harper had two RBI each on their homers.
After two scoreless innings, UA opened the scoring with a three-spot in the third. Palomino-Cardoza blasted a two-run homer, the second straight game in which she had opened the game’s scoring with a homer, followed by a Harper solo homer.
USF responded with a solo homer of its own in the home half.
Arizona’s 3-1 lead held until Harper hit her second long ball of the game, this an opposite-field blast to lead off the seventh inning.
The Wildcats improved to 2-0 with the victory while the Bulls fell to 1-1 on the year.
Courtesy of Arizona Communication Services
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