CHRIS CODUTO/Arizona Daily Wildcat Alicia Hollowell delivers a pitch earlier this season. Hollowell led Wildcats disposed of defending champs Cal 6-0 giving the freshman her 33rd win this year.

Wildcats top Golden Bears

The No. 1 Arizona softball team (48-4, 17-1) defeated No. 9 California (40-16, 9-9), 6-0 in a makeup game that was rained out last Friday.

Senior Lovie Jung hit a two-run homerun in the fifth inning to put Arizona up, 2-0. Jung currently leads the nation with 24 home runs. Junior Mackenzie Vandergeest reached base when Cal pitcher Kelly Anderson walked her. Vandergeest advanced to third when sophomore Jackie Coburn doubled to center field. Vandergeest and Coburn scored when freshman Shelly Schultz singled.

The Wildcats put the game well out of reach in the seventh inning. Jung reached base when she was walked and advanced to third when Vandergeest reached base on an error by first baseman Jessica Vernaglia. Jung scored when Coburn reached on a fielder's choice. Coburn eventually scored when Schultz again singled to left field.

Freshman Alicia Hollowell pitched another game for the Wildcats, improving to 33-3. She struck out five batters, gave up four hits and walked one batter.

Hailing Hollowell, again

Hollowell chalked up her fifth Pacific-10 Conference nod after being named Co-Pitcher of the Week for April 28÷May 4.

Hollowell is the first UA pitcher to receive the award five times in a single season. She passed up former UA pitcher Susie Parra, who won the honor four times during her 1994 season.

The young pitching ace split the award with UCLA's Keira Goerl.

Hollowell went 2-0 over the weekend, posting a .00 ERA.

In the 6-0 win over No. 15 Stanford, the UA freshman pitched a one-hitter gem, her ninth of the season.

Overall, Hollowell pitched 14 innings and struck out 19 batters.

The UA pitcher improved to 33-3 with a .71 ERA. On the season, she's struck out 308 batters and is No. 3 on the UA record for strikeouts in on season, with three games remaining.

The winning streak

With the 6-0 shut out of California and a pair of wins over Stanford, the Wildcats (48-4) embark on a three-game home series with an 11-game winning streak.

The last Wildcat loss dates back to April 11 in a 4-3 contest against the Cardinal, with their last eight wins coming from the road.

Of those games, four were shutouts, two ended in the fifth inning öö implementing the eight-run mercy rule öö and a 6-4 win against Oregon State was won in 11 innings.

In the on deck circle

The Wildcats return home for a final three-game series of their regular season against UCLA and Washington this weekend.

Arizona will take the field against the Bruins on Friday night and then for a doubleheader against Washington on Saturday.

All three contests will be played at UA's Rita Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium, where the Wildcats hold a 329-21 overall record.

Prior to the UCLA game, former UA pitcher Jennie Finch will watch as her jersey is retired and will throw out the first pitch.

The game is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Friday, followed by the doubleheader against the Huskies at 6 p.m. on Saturday.