(CORVALLIS, OR) No. 11 Arizona clinched the series over Oregon State in game 2 of the three-game series with an 11-4 victory through steady rain on Saturday afternoon at the OSU Softball Complex.
Jessie Harper homered again, her third of the series and 16th of the season, a grand slam, four of her five RBI in the game to lead the offense. Malia Martinez added a three-run homer, her fifth of the season.
Hanah Bowen (2-0) picked up the win in a near-perfect relief appearance for her first career Pac-12 win. Bowen pitched the final 4.2 innings of the game and allowed just one base-runner, a sixth-inning double, while striking out three over 4.2 scoreless innings. She entered in relief of Gina Snyder, who gave up four runs, three earned, on three hits with two strikeouts and two walks in 2.1 innings.
The Cats backed up their two pitchers with 11 runs on 11 hits, UA’s eighth double-digit-run output this season. Five of Arizona’s 11 hits went for extra-bases. In addition to Harper and Martinez’s home runs, Reyna Carranco and Rylee Pierce doubled while Harper hit her first triple of the season.
Carranco had three more hits on Saturday, extending her hitting streak to a career-long 12 games. Her three hits mark her team-best fifth game with three hits this season and 17th with multiple hits. She upped her batting average to a team-best .460 on the season.
The win improved Arizona to 5-0 in league play; UA has scored at least eight runs in all five of those wins. Arizona’s 5-0 Pac-12 mark is just the second time in the last 15 years that the Cats have won their first five conference games (2017).
KEY INNINGS
Top 1: Arizona wasted little time to take the early lead in the top of the first. After Alyssa Palomino-Cardoza was hit by a pitch, Reyna Carranco singled to left to extend her hitting streak to 12 games to put two Wildcats on. Dejah Mulipola singled home Palomino-Cardoza before Malia Martinez hit a line-drive homer to left to give the Cats a 4-0 lead in the first. (4-0, UA)
Top 2: In the second, Jenna Kean and Carranco recorded bunt singles around a Palomino-Cardoza walk to load the bases with nobody out. Jessie Harper blasted a grand slam to center field to put the Cats up by eight after two. (8-0, UA)
Bottom 3: Oregon State loaded the bases without a hit in the third. Frankie Hammoude hit a grand slam to left to cut the UA lead in half. (8-4, UA)
Top 6: Harper tripled with one out to score Palomino-Cardoza to give the Cats a five-run lead (9-4, UA)
Top 7: With two on and two out, Carranco notched her third hit of the day, a double to right, to plate Pierce and Palomino-Cardoza. (11-4, UA)
UP NEXT
Arizona tries for the sweep of Oregon State on Sunday at noon on the Pac-12 Networks.
Courtesy of Arizona Communication Services
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