UA splits doubleheader with Beavers

Eric M. Jukelevics Arizona Daily Wildcat Sophomore shortstop Felecity Willis (center) gets ready to catch the ball and tag out an Oregon State player during Saturday night's game. The softball team split the doubleheader against Oregon State and swept Oregon in a doubleheader Friday night.

The two games were an opportunity to avenge a loss to the Beavers that the Wildcats suffered March 19. It was only their third defeat of the season in 30 outings entering this weekend.

UA sophomore shortstop Felecity Willis' seventh inning RBI single to left field scored sophomore third baseman Toni Mascarenas from second base to give the No. 2-ranked Wildcats (30-4 overall, 3-1 Pac-10) a 3-2 victory after losing 4-0 in the first outing.

"Stepping up to the plate, I just knew I had to get a base hit," Willis said. "Toni has wheels and Coach (Mike) Candrea is aggressive on the basepaths, so as long as I got good contact I knew he would send her in."

The Wildcats entered the bottom of the seventh inning down 2-1, but junior right fielder Chrissy Gil began the rally with a home run to left. The rally continued when Mascarenas reached first base on an infield error. A sacrifice bunt by junior second baseman Katie Swan moved Mascarenas to second, setting up the game winning score.

"After the first game, we got a big shock," Mascerenas said. "We are a team that is capable of coming back and we knew that is exactly what we had to do."

The Wildcats jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the third inning when Willis tripled down the right field line, then scored on sophomore center fielder Nicole Giordano's single to right.

Oregon State's Tarrah Beyster hit a solo home run in the sixth inning to tie the game 1-1, then the Beavers jumped ahead in the seventh when a Shawna Feldt single to center scored Michelle Chariton.

Candrea said he saw a startling difference in the two games against Oregon State.

"In the first game, we came out without any emotion or intensity," he said. "We didn't perform in the big game."

Candrea said that in order to be fully competitive in a softball game, the entire team has to be physically, emotionally and mentally ready. He said his team made improvements in its readiness in defeating the Beavers in the second game.

In the 4-0 loss, the Wildcats compiled only four hits, which Candrea attributes to his hitters "looking lost."

"Our batters were stepping into the box hesitant to hit the ball," he said. "That is why our offense never picked up."

The UA softball team opened Pac-10 play Friday night by sweeping the Oregon Ducks 9-1, 11-6.

Next up for Arizona is a showdown with No. 3-ranked Arizona State Saturday at 6 p.m. in Tempe.