The win secured the series victory vs. the Bruins, Arizona’s first series win vs. UCLA since 2011 and marked Arizona’s first series win over a top-five team since taking two-of-three from No. 3 Arizona State in 2013 and first one on the road since 2012 (No. 4 Washington).
Snyder was brilliant in the circle in her sixth start of the season. She allowed one run on five hits over 5.0 scoreless innings. She fanned three and did not walk a batter in the victory. The senior improved to 5-0 on the season with the win.
Alyssa Denham shut the door, pitching a pair of scoreless innings to nail down her first save of the season. The junior allowed two hits over the sixth and seventh.
Arizona plated all three runs in the top of the third inning, and like eight of the previous nine runs that the Wildcats had scored in the series, all three came via the long ball. Bowen connected on her first career homer to open the scoring in the top of the third before, three batters later, Malia Martinez hit a two-run homer to throw the three-spot on the scoreboard.
The three runs would be all the support that Snyder and Denham would need. UCLA made it close with a solo homer to lead off the sixth, but that would be all for the Bruins, who entered the weekend among the nation’s best in nearly every offensive category. UCLA had a runner in scoring position just once all game, when, with two out, it had a walk and a single to put the tying runs on base and bring the potential winning run to the plate. Denham induced a groundout to end the game.
The Wildcats, despite playing the nation’s second hardest schedule, finished the regular season 42-12, 19-5 Pac-12. UA’s 19 conference wins since going 19-2 in the Pac-10 in 2003. The Cats have already posted their 32nd 40-win season.
Arizona will now await its postseason fate, to be announced on Sunday in the NCAA Softball Tournament Selection Show on ESPN 2 at 6 p.m. MST tomorrow. The Cats entered the weekend as the fourth-rated team in the NCAA RPI and just closed out with two victories over UCLA, which entered the weekend No. 3 in the RPI. The top 16 seeds host NCAA Regionals with the top eight seeds in position to host a potential super regional.
KEY INNINGS
Top 3: Hanah Bowen and Malia Martinez hit home runs in the top of the third inning and the Wildcats struck first. Bowen’s homer, a solo shot, was the first of her career. Martinez’s came three batters later and brought home Alyssa Palomino-Cardoza, who singled following Bowen’s bomb. (3-0, UA)
Bottom 6: Bubba Nickles led off the bottom of the sixth with a solo home run to cut into the Arizona lead. Following the homer, the Cats went to the bullpen for Alyssa Denham, who retired the next three Bruins in order. (3-1, UA)
UP NEXT
Arizona and the rest of the country will learn its postseason fate on Sunday at 6 p.m. MST on ESPN 2 when the 2019 NCAA Tournament bracket is announced.
