PALM SPRINGS, Calif. -- Arizona split its final day of the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic on Saturday, defeating LIU Brooklyn 21-2 in five innings before falling in a pitchers' duel to top-ranked Florida State, 1-0.
The Wildcats finished the Mary Nutter 4-1 and head into the fourth weekend of the season 15-1 on the year.
Game 1: #9 Arizona 21, LIU Brooklyn 2 (5 inn.)
Arizona scored 21 runs on 20 hits, marking the most hits by a UA team since 1998, and Arizona defeated LIU Brooklyn 21-2 in five innings to open play on Saturday night at the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic.
Mo Mercado, who entered the game 6-for-6 on the weekend, went 3-for-4 with two doubles and three RBI. It marked the senior's team-most 13th three-hit game in her career.
Thirteen different Wildcats recorded hits in the game.
Nancy Bowling (4-0) earned the win, pitching three innings of two-hit ball. She allowed one run, a solo homer, on the night. Bowling struck out four and walked one in her three innings.
Michelle Floyd finished the job, allowing one unearned run over the final two innings.
Arizona took the lead three batters into the game when
Alyssa Palomino's fourth home run of the season to deep left center plated
Dejah Mulipola and gave UA a 2-0 early lead. The Cats would add four more on RBI from
Reyna Carranco,
Ashleigh Hughes and
Mandie Perez to give the Cats a 6-0 lead after one half an inning.
Katiyana Mauga led off the second with a single and moved to third on a
Mo Mercado double. The two seniors trotted home on
Jessie Harper's fifth homer of the year. It marked the second homer by a UA freshman in as many innings.
Mercado doubled again in the third, plating two runs with her second two-bagger of the game to put UA up 11-0.
The Blackbirds got their first hit of the game, a solo homer by Kayla Gloady, to lead off the bottom of the third.
The Wildcats plated seven runs in the fourth to take an 18-1 lead.
LIU Brooklyn scratched an unearned run across in the fourth before UA added three more in the top of the fifth.
Game 2: #1 Florida State 1, #9 Arizona 0
In a top-10 matchup between two of the nation's top pitchers, lefties
Danielle O'Toole and Meghan King did not disappoint. The two pitchers dominated the opposing offenses, with the only run scoring on a Wildcat defensive blunder in the third inning.
Arizona outhit Florida State in the game, 5-3, but stranded nine runners on base, including the tying run at second in the seventh inning.
O'Toole dazzled, keeping the top-ranked Seminoles off balance all night with a steady diet of offspeed pitches. She struck out eight batters and faced just five over the minimum, allowing three hits and two walks.
The only run allowed by O'Toole in the game came in the third inning when Morgan Klaveman drew a one out walk and stole second with two down. Jessica Warren hit a grounder up the middle. The UA second baseman,
Reyna Carranco, fielded the ball and threw to first, but no one covered the base, allowing Klaveman to score from second base.
It was hard-luck loss for O'Toole, who fell to 8-1 on the season.
Arizona's offense had base runners in six of the seven innings, including runners in scoring position in four, but the timely hit eluded the Wildcats.
Up Next: Arizona returns home for a three-game series with Texas. The Cats and Longhorns open up play on Friday at 6 p.m. MST.
Follow Arizona Softball: For further coverage of Arizona softball, visit ArizonaWildcats.com and follow the team's Twitter and Instagram accounts (@UA_Softball).
