By
Brett Erickson
Arizona Daily Wildcat
PHOENIX - Describing the Arizona softball team's performance this weekend as dominant would be an understatement.
Capped off by two 8-0 victories yesterday, the third-ranked Wildcats (10-0) breezed to six wins this weekend at the Fiesta Bowl Tournament in Phoenix.
Arizona, which outscored its six opponents 59-4, was the only squad to go undefeated in the 17-team field that included No. 4 Washington, No. 6 Arizona State and No. 8 Louisiana State.
In Arizona's second game yesterday afternoon against Missouri, freshman Jenny Gladding allowed two hits over five innings as the Wildcats cruised to an 8-0 win.
Of the 15 batters Gladding (3-0) retired, 14 were strikeout victims. The freshman from Palm City, Fla., was helped by some early offense, as the Wildcats scored five runs in the first two innings.
Senior first baseman Jennie Finch and Gladding each drew bases-loaded walks in the first inning, and Arizona never looked back.
Third baseman Toni Mascarenas hit a two-run home run, her seventh in the season's first 10 games, in the fourth inning to seal the victory. Mascarenas' seven long-balls match her total from last season.
"This year, I'm going up there with a different attitude," she said. "Last year, and the years before, I kind of pressed, and this year, I'm just going up there with an open mind and trying to be my own best friend because I've been known to be my worst enemy."
While the Wildcats got off to a quick start in the second game, it took them more than four innings to get on the scoreboard in their first game yesterday against No. 18 South Carolina. Like Gladding, Finch (3-0) dominated opposing batters as she struck out 14 in six innings of shutout work.
It was her offense, though, that provided the spark Arizona needed.
When Finch came to bat to lead off the bottom of the fifth inning, the Wildcats had not recorded a base hit since the first. After taking a close 2-2 pitch for ball three, Finch smacked a line-drive home run over the left-field fence for the game's first run.
"I wanted to lay on one, and (South Carolina's pitcher) was pitching rise balls, and she just laid one up," Finch said.
The Wildcats added four more runs in the inning on a three-run home run by senior Lauren Bauer and a run-scoring single by freshman Leneah Manuma.
Freshman Kim Balkan's three-run home run - her first collegiate shot - in the sixth inning ended the contest because of the NCAA's eight-run mercy rule.
Perhaps the lone blemish on the Wildcats' performance this weekend was that the team gave up its first runs of the season Saturday night against No. 12 Nebraska. Senior Becky Lemke (4-0) gave up two two-run home runs but was good enough to lead Arizona to an 11-4 victory.
Standing out again offensively for the Wildcats was Mascarenas, who hit two two-run homers in the win. Senior Allison Andrade, freshman Mackenzie Vandergeest and Manuma also went deep in the game.
Earlier in the day, the Wildcats trounced No. 8 Louisiana State 10-0 in the Tigers' lone loss of the weekend.
"I've been coaching this game for 21 years, and Arizona looks as strong as they've ever looked," LSU head coach Yvette Girourard said. "It's early, but I think (UA head coach) Mike (Candrea) has got a team that looks like the ones that have won the national championships."
Friday, Arizona defeated Texas 14-0 and Georgia 8-0 to open the tournament.
The Wildcats return to action this weekend for their first home games of the season at the Wildcat Invitational Tournament.
