Wildcats host weekend tournament

By Eric Wein

Arizona Daily Wildcat

They're back.

After sweeping through tough competition in the last two weekend tournaments on the road, the UA softball team (14-0) hosts its own tournament this weekend with two teams joining them for the Hillenbrand Invitational.

The Wildcats play New Mexico (4-2) at 2 p.m. tomorrow and then Pacific (7-7) at 4 p.m. The teams return to the diamond Sunday with Arizona facing the Lobos at noon and Pacific at 2 p.m. to close the tournament.

"We're ready for this week," UA coach Mike Candrea said. "It's another weekend where we'll have to go out and play well to win. We're looking forward to being home for the next three weeks."

After this weekend, the Wildcats will play six doubleheaders at home during spring break before getting out on the road again.

At the beginning of the year, it seemed like pitching might be Arizona's biggest uncertainty. But so far, both Carrie Dolan (7-0), who carries a 0.81 ERA, and Nancy Evans (7-0) have proven to be unstoppable.

"The thing (Dolan) was lacking was confidence. Once she gets the confidence, she knows she can throw well and does," Candrea said. "Nancy has continued to get better. Both realize what they have to do. With our offense, they need to start throwing the way they're capable and we have a chance of being good."

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NOTES Ä First baseman Amy Chellevold is on target to become the career hit-leader for the Pacific 10 Conference this weekend. With 284 hits, she is four shy of passing UCLA's Lisa Fernandez (287, 1990-93). Chellevold is already the career run-scoring leader with 187, 20 shy of the NCAA record. ...

The first four batters of the UA lineup have scored 78 runs Ä Chellevold (24), Leah O'Brien (19), Jenny Dalton (18) and Laura Espinoza (17). ...

Krista Gomez has a .973 fielding percentage and has made just one error while playing third base, the first time in her three-year UA career she has played the position. ...

Arizona, which outscored its opposition 47-7 last weekend, lowered its average to 9.1 runs per game.

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