TUCSON, Ariz. -- Alyssa Palomino homered twice, two of her four extra base hits on the day, and drove in seven runs while UA pitchers did not allow an earned run in a doubleheader sweep of Ball State and Abilene Christian on Friday night.
 
Arizona defeated Ball State 9-1 in six innings before shutting out Abilene Christian, 7-0.
 
Game 1: #10 Arizona 9, Ball State 1 (6 inn.)
 
Alyssa Palomino hit her first two career home runs and drove in five runs, leading the way for Arizona's 9-1, six-inning victory over Ball State to open a doubleheader at the Wildcat Invitational on Friday.
 
Palomino and Katiyana Mauga, Arizona's 3-4 hitters, went a combined 5-for-5 with three homers and seven RBI.
 
In all, the Cats plated their nine runs on 12 hits. Mo Mercado went 2-for-3 to extend her hitting streak to 18 games.
 
Taylor McQuillin pitched five strong innings, allowing one unearned run on three hits with six strikeouts and one walk. The sophomore improved to 2-0 on the year. Nancy Bowling pitched a perfect sixth to close it out.  
 
Alyssa Palomino hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the first inning to get the Cats going.
 
Ball State cut the lead in half with an unearned run in the top of the second, but McQuillin stranded the bases loaded to keep the lead intact.
 
Arizona added single runs in the second and third to pad the lead.
 
In the fourth, Ashleigh Hughes walked and Mandie Perez singled to put two on with two out for Palomino, who launched her second homer of the game, a three-run bomb to center. Katiyana Mauga followed with her NCAA-leading fifth homer of the season.
 
Game 2: #10 Arizona 7, Abilene Christian 0
 
Danielle O'Toole threw six scoreless innings and UA freshmen drove in five of Arizona's seven runs as Arizona improved to 8-0 on the year.
 
O'Toole and Michelle Floyd threw the combined shutout. It marked Arizona's fourth shutout of the season and lowered Arizona's team ERA to 0.54 on the year.
 
Katiyana Mauga drove in a run with a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the first inning to give the Cats the early lead.
 
In the second, two singles and a walk loaded the bases with one out for Dejah Mulipola, who cleared the bases with a double down the left field line. Mulipola went 2-for-3 in the contest.
 
Arizona's offense went cold from that point forward, until Alyssa Palomino belted a two-run double in the sixth inning to give UA a 7-0 cushion. Palomino scored Robyn Porter and Hillary Edior, who each recorded their first hits of the season earlier in the inning.
 
Danielle O'Toole and Michelle Floyd did the rest and the Cats swept the doubleheader.
 
Up Next: Arizona plays Boston College and Drake on Saturday, two of six games on tap for the Wildcat Invitational. For a complete schedule, click here.
 
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