(SALT LAKE CITY, UT) The conference and national pitcher of the week, Taylor McQuillin, did it again on Friday, firing her third consecutive shutout over the last eight days, extending Arizona’s Pac-12 shutout streak to five straight games and 33.2 innings, as the Cats blanked the Utes, 13-0 over five innings on Friday evening.
The five straight conference shutouts is the most since the 1990 Wildcats shut out six Pac-10 opponents in-a-row from March 28-April 14. UA lowered its Pac-12 ERA to a conference-low 0.47 with the shutout.
McQuillin (13-5) threw a two-hit shutout for the third consecutive outing and struck out six Utes without a walk. The 2018 NCAA leader in shutouts tossed her eighth of the season, tied for third most in the country this season. She lowered her ERA to 1.30 with the win and her Pac-12 ERA to 0.22.
Malia Martinez went 4-for-4, finishing a triple shy of the cycle and driving in five runs and hitting one of UA’s three home runs in the game. Jessie Harper took the NCAA lead with her career-best 20th home run of the season and Hannah Martinez knocked her second career homer.
With the Wildcats’ three home runs, UA has now hit more home runs this season (71) than its pitchers have allowed total runs (70).
Arizona plated 13 runs on 11 hits, nine of which came from the bottom five hitters in the batting order. In addition to Malia Martinez’s four hits, Rylee Pierce had two and two RBI, Hannah Martinez hit a two-run homer, Jenna Kean had a hit and Tamara Statman had a double.
With the victory, the 12th straight for the Wildcats, Arizona improved to 30-7 overall and 10-0 in Pac-12 play. The Cats are 10-0 in league play for just the third time in school history, joining 2017 (13-0) and 1994 (23-0). UA will go for the series win over the Utes (13-22, 2-5 Pac-12) on Saturday when the teams meet in game 2 at 11 a.m. MST. The Cats are going for their seventh straight Pac-12 series win, dating back to last season.
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KEY INNINGS
Top 2: The Cats opened the scoring with two runs in the second inning. Malia Martinez led off with a single and then moved to third on a Tamara Statman double. Rylee Pierce followed with an RBI groundout to give the Cats a 1-0 lead. After a walk and a single loaded the bases, Alyssa Palomino-Cardoza hit a sacrifice fly to right to double the lead. The Cats would strand the bases loaded, but exited the frame with the lead. (2-0, UA)
Top 3: Arizona plated three two-out runs in the top of the third. Rylee Pierce got the scoring started with an RBI single to center before Hannah Martinez hit her second career home run, a towering two-run shot to center field. (5-0, UA)
Top 4: UA loaded the bases on two walks and a single. Malia Martinez doubled to right-center to clear the bases and put the Cats up 8-0. (8-0, UA)
Top 5: Arizona plated five more runs in the fifth, using a Reyna Carranco sacrifice fly to get the scoring started. Jessie Harper and Malia Martinez each followed with two-run homers to put the Cats on top by 13. (13-0, UA)
UP NEXT
Arizona looks to take the series on Saturday at 11 a.m. MST.
Press Release and Photos courtesy of Arizona Communication Services
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