Wildcats thinking perfection after sweep

By Eric Wein

Arizona Daily Wildcat

Sometimes the UA softball team thinks it has to be perfect.

Ever since it won three of the last four national championships, began playing in a million-dollar stadium and started attracting more than 1,000 fans a game, the Wildcats (17-0) suddenly feel a flawless outing is expected of them each time.

At no time was this more obvious than after their 12-1 win over Pacific Sunday afternoon when a few players seemed disappointed at the fact they had actually allowed a run and five hits.

In their three previous games last weekend, the Wildcats' opponents went hitless and were unable to score. But still, few teams would fret over an 11-run margin of victory.

"Sometimes we have some real high expectations. I don't know where they're coming from. The expectations can sometimes swallow you up," UA coach Mike Candrea said. "This team is striving for perfection.

"Like I told the girls, we built a monster here. But you can't worry about it. You have to look at it this way Ä it's a Sunday afternoon, it's a gorgeous day, there's people in the stands, you're doing what you want to do. How much better can you have it? If you're feeling bad, then go take a walk over to the cancer ward, you'll see a lot of people that don't have an opportunity to do this. It's not a life-threatening situation."

Candrea doesn't focus on individual statistics Ä the players don't know their batting averages. He points out that the best hitters get hits three of 10 times and they shouldn't focus on the seven failures. Whether his players succeed or fail, he keeps a steady perspective.

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No one can expect the Wildcats' pitchers to get no-hitters on any given outing so what the two sophomores did last weekend was remarkable.

Carrie Dolan (9-0) pitched her first collegiate no-hitter in five innings Saturday against New Mexico. She faced the minimum 15 batters because a Lobo reached on an error but was thrown out at-

tempting to steal. She had one strikeout and no walks.

Nancy Evans (9-0) followed with her own five-inning no-hitter against Pacific Saturday. In the first no-hitter she struck out three while only two balls were hit out of the infield.

Then, Evans threw her second no-hitter Sunday against New Mexico while striking out three.

"When you're pitching at (Division I), you can't expect to have a no-hitter every game and if you get one it's a great achievement because teams are very strong and very tough," Evans said. "To come out with a no-hitter like that is pretty amazing for a pitcher."

The Wildcats have the advantage of two strong pitchers with different styles. Evans' strong pitch is her riseball and Dolan's is her lowball, her drop.

"Seeing different arrays of pitches and two different manners is an advantage for a team because you come in the first game and see all drops but in the second you get used to drops but you see a different array of pitches," Evans said. "That would confuse you as a hitter."

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