Arizona Daily Wildcat

The UA softball team has seldom gone to its bullpen this season. But this past weekend, the Wildcats sent in relievers twice during the second game each day and it paid off on both occasions.

The top-ranked Wildcats (48-2 overall, 16-0 in the Pacific 10 Conference) extended their current winning streak to 10 games yesterday afternoon with an 11-2 and 10-7 doubleheader sweep of Oregon at Howe Field in Eugene, Ore.

Susie Parra (23-1) struck out 10 while allowing eight hits, five walks and two earned runs in the first game.

Junior shortstop Laura Espinoza hit her 25th homer on a three-run shot in the third inning and catcher Leah Braatz followed with a solo shot, her 12th. First baseman Amy Chellevold (fourth) also homered.

The wildcats won the second game with Carrie Dolan coming in to relieve Nancy Evans in the third inning. Evans was losing 5-2, but Dolan went 4 2/3 innings, holding Oregon to three hits and one earned run.

With the score tied 6-6 in the sixth inning, Parra hit a grand slam to help the Wildcats pull away. The homer was her 12th of the year.

The Ducks threatened in the bottom of the seventh with the bases loaded and one out but Dolan (10-1) escaped with the win.

On Saturday, the Wildcats swept Oregon State 8-0 and 7-2 in a doubleheader in Corvallis, Ore.

Parra had her most dominating outing of the year in the first game, with her eighth career no-hitter on Saturday and 14 strikeouts in the first game. A UA error kept her from picking up her third career perfect game.

In the second game, freshman Carrie Dolan was in a 2-2 tie despite allowing no earned runs through 5 2/3 innings. Parra came on in relief to hold off the Beavers with no hits and three strikeouts to pick up the win. Read Next Article