Arizona Daily Wildcat
Any thoughts of an exciting, down-to-the-wire conference pennant race in Pac-10 softball can be ended.
The No. 1 Wildcats have staked claim to the title by dominating the conference as they have almost all the other NCAA teams they've faced. Two more wins separate the Wildcats (50-2, 18-0 in the Pac-10) from their second conference title since joining the Pac-10 in 1987.
The Wildcats continued their title push by slipping by second-place and fifth-ranked UCLA 3-1 and 4-2 in a doubleheader Saturday afternoon at Easton Stadium in Westwood, Calif.
A 12-inning pitching duel between Arizona's Susie Parra and UCLA's DeeDee Weiman highlighted the first game. Parra (24-1) threw a four-hitter with 12 walks and six strikeouts, while Weiman (16-5) struck out 14 batters but allowed six hits and three walks.
Neither team could score a run off of the other's ace through 10 innings before the Wildcats got on the board with a run in the top of the 11th.
UCLA answered in the bottom of that inning with a run. But Arizona scored on a two-run homer by Leah Braatz in the top of the 12th and Parra held off the Bruins for the win.
Almost six hours after the start of game one, Nancy Evans (13-0) wrapped up the doubleheader with a six-hit win in the second game.
The Wildcats scored two runs in both the third and fourth innings while Evans limited the Bruins to two overall.
NOTES Ä The Wildcats have won 12 straight and return home for three doubleheaders next weekend. Arizona takes on Oregon State on Friday night, Oregon on Saturday night and San Jose State on Sunday morning.
ùConference batting leader Amy Chellevold went 5-for-9 on the day to increase her average to .500. The junior first baseman and leadoff hitter also was involved in all four runs in the second game with three RBI and a run scored.
ùUCLA stranded 18 runners in the first game while Arizona left 15 on base in both games.
ùBraatz's homer, her 13th of the year, was the only extra-base hit for either team in the first game. Read Next Article