(Tucson, AZ) Things couldn’t be going better for the Wildcats now their in the have a seventeen-game winning streak which includes a (12-0) start in PAC-12 conference play.
The Cats have outscored their opponents 152 to 14 during that stretch.With Arizona clicking on all cylinders a they lead in the PAC-12 by one game over UCLA.
Ace Taylor McQuillin opened the series against the Stanford Cardinal, who own a record of 30-7. McQuillin struck out two of the first four batters to start the contest. Stanford was able to get on base in the inning but McQuillin locked it down and ended the inning.
The Cat’s offense struggled early through the first two innings. Zona was got one baserunner on an error and left them stranded.
The bats heated up for the Wildcats in the third inning with the bottom of the order got things started. The Cats got their first hit from Hannah “Peanut” Martinez who dropped down a bunt to get on base. That was followed by a Jenna Kean base hit to put two runners on and the top of the line-up coming up.
After a pop-up from Alyssa Palomino-Cardoza, Reyna Carranco had an opportunity for some damage with only one out. She cashed in by belting a rocket over the right field wall for her fifth home run and three RBI and gave the Wildcats a 3-0 lead.
McQuillin continued to grind out at-bats keeping the Stanford hitters off balanced and off the scoreboard. Through four innings of work had four strikeouts and just two hits in the process.
With McQuillin held the Cardinal scoreless and gave the Cats a chance to add on to their lead.
An unlikely source, Hillary Edior who just homered the last game against GCU. Edior did it again with a solo shot over the left field wall Increasing the lead to 4-0 after four innings.
One inning later in the fifth, the Cats tacked on three more runs on a home run for the “Hillenbrand Bombers”.
The top of the order reached base on a walk and a fielders choice later Zona two on base and two outs. Dejah Mulipola came to the plate and it didn’t take long for Mulipola to send her eighteenth homer of the season ballooning Arizona’s lead over Stanford to 7-0.
That was all McQuillin needed. She had five strikeouts and a walk tossing ninety-six pitches. It wasn’t McQuillin’s best game, but she made the most of it and earned a complete game shutout. On the season McQuillin’s ERA is 1.16 and put her into the top twenty in the NCAA.
With the win, the Wildcats have won eighteen in a row and are (13-0) in PAC-12 play with the season down to the home stretch.
Arizona is back in action Friday night for game two against Stanford and look win number thirty-seven.
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