The UA softball team kept its perfect record intact during this weekend's Hillenbrand Invitational, thanks in part to a perfect game.
Sophomore Alicia Hollowell struck out 20 Hoosiers to seal her first collegiate perfect game Saturday, one week after narrowly missing the accomplishment.
Yesterday afternoon, after a scare in the fifth inning, the Wildcats (25-0) defeated Texas-El Paso 14-6 in six innings.
In the first inning, the Wildcats scored seven runs on six hits, and stole five bases; causing acting head coach Larry Ray to clear the bench soon thereafter.
Pitcher Leslie Wolfe had no trouble with the Miners in the first four innings, but in the fifth, UTEP went off for eight hits, including three doubles. It sent 11 batters to the plate and scored six runs, bringing the score to 9-6. The Miners' one-inning total was more than any team has scored in an entire game this season against the Wildcats.
In the UA's half of the fifth inning, Ray put many of his starters back into the game. Arizona responded with three runs in the inning to extend its lead to a more comfortable 12-6 margin.
Ray brought in Hollowell in relief, and she struck out the side in timely fashion. The Wildcats then scored a run off of a sacrifice from Autumn Champion in the sixth, followed by an RBI single by shortstop Kristie Fox to end the game by the mercy rule.
"Overall, I was very pleased this weekend, except for the fifth inning of the last game," said Ray. "The fifth (inning) snuck up and got us. I told the team I am going to take the blame, but it will never happen again."
While Sunday was about offensive
production, Saturday was the day of the pitcher. After being one baserunner off of a perfect game last weekend against Oklahoma State, it did not take long for Hollowell to try again for perfection; and this time she was successful in a 6-0 win over Indiana University.
Hollowell was responsible for all 21 outs against the Hoosiers. She struck out 20 of the 21 batters she faced, and threw out Abby Stark in the third inning on the only ball put into play by the Hoosiers.
In addition to being Hollowell's first perfect game, the effort was her second no-hitter this season, and the fourth of her college career.
"I'm just glad I was here to see that," Ray said. "I don't know that I've ever witnessed a totally dominating performance like that."
Hollowell could not really explain what made Saturday better than the many others she has pitched at the UA.
"I don't know - I just felt normal," she said. "I just tried to take it one batter at a time and throw my own game."
On the offensive side, Champion went 3-for-4 with three RBIs, including a two-run double in the third to make the score 3-0. Fox hit her fourth home run of the season in the sixth inning to close out the scoring for the Wildcats.
The second game of the day was a 2-0 victory against No. 24 Georgia Tech. Wendy Allen not only pitched a complete game, two-hit shutout against the Yellow Jackets, but also hit a two-run homer in the first inning - her sixth of the year - to give the Wildcats their only runs of the game.
Friday's game against Northern Iowa was canceled, along with the rest of Friday's action, due to the rainy weather. None of the games were rescheduled.