Staff Reports
Arizona Daily Wildcat
February 16, 1998

Sidelines

The top-ranked Arizona softball team swept through the Coca-Cola Classic in Phoenix over the weekend with victories in succession over Tennessee, Utah State, Texas and No. 14 Long Beach State.

Senior Nancy Evans and freshmen Teresa Ayoub and Becky Lemke once again proved too tough in the circle for the opponents as they allowed just four runs all weekend.

Yesterday morning's game between the Wildcats (8-0) and the Ohio State Buckeyes was canceled because of bad weather.

Arizona had a close call in yesterday afternoon's contest, squeaking out a 3-1 over Long Beach State.

In Friday's opener Evans (4-0) struck out 15 hitters in getting a complete-game 7-0 victory over the Volunteers. Senior Lety Pineda, seeing her first action of the season, hit a solo home run to help pace the offense.

The Wildcats took a pair of contests on Saturday as the freshmen connection of Ayoub and Lemke combined to defeat Utah State and Texas respectively.

Ayoub (2-0) gave up just three hits in a 19-2 defeat of the Aggies and Lemke (2-0) tossed a one-hitter in a 9-1 thumping of the Longhorns.

Senior Alison McCutcheon slugged her first home run of the season in the opening contest - a grand slam shot in Arizona's eight-run first inning - to give Ayoub a lead she would not yield.

Evans and freshmen Toni Mascarenas and Lindsey Collins also hit home runs in the Wildcats' 19-run explosion.

The Wildcats have outscored their opponents 83-8 through the first two weekends of the young season and have recorded double-digit run totals in half of their contests.

Arizona travels to Gainesville, Fla., this weekend to compete in the University of Florida Louisville Slugger Invitational.

- Scottie Bricker

By the Numbers

20:

The number of years it took Dale Earnhardt to win the Daytona 500. The seven-time Winston Cup Champion had not won in 59 races dating back to March, 1996, when he won in Atlanta. Earnhardt had won 30 times at Daytona International Speedway in his career, but never a 500 until yesterday.