LONG BEACH, Calif. - Fifth-ranked Arizona softball swept a doubleheader in Long Beach on Tuesday, walking off on ninth-ranked Oklahoma in the opener before defeating Long Beach State 4-0 in game 2.
Arizona improved to 26-1, its best 27-game start since starting the 2004 season 27-0.
The doubleheader concluded the nonconference portion of the Arizona schedule. UA begins Pac-12 play at Oregon State on Friday.
Game 1: #5 Arizona 4, #9 Oklahoma 3
In a heavyweight battle between two top-10 teams, the fifth-ranked Wildcats and ninth-ranked Sooners did not disappoint. The teams traded blows in a back-and-forth affair that ended on a
Mandie Perez walkoff infield single to give the Wildcats a 4-3 victory.
Arizona's
Danielle O'Toole and Oklahoma's Paige Parker were masterful against the two opposing offensive juggernauts. The two lefties put up a pitcher's duel worthy of ASA Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City.
O'Toole got the best of Parker and the Sooners, allowing three runs, two earned on five hits. O'Toole struck out five and walked three. The senior improved to 13-1 on the year.
Parker struck out a career-high 13 of the 28 batters she faced. The Wildcats managed seven hits off Parker, three of which came in the game-ending seventh inning.
The first 4.5 innings of the game featured just one run, an unearned Sooner run in the second. Entering the bottom of the fifth, Arizona had managed just one base runner, an infield Perez single the inning prior.
Jessie Harper notched the first hard hit ball of the game, a double to left center with one out.
With the tying run in scoring position, left-handed hitting
Tamara Statman, who was just 2-for-her-last-20, stepped in against one of the best left handed pitchers in the nation. Statman, whose last home run came April 9, 2016 against Houston, homered to right field to give the Wildcats the lead.
In the top of the sixth, Oklahoma loaded the bases with no one out. The Sooners' cleanup hitter, Shay Knighten, hit a ground ball back to O'Toole who triggered a 1-2-3 double play. After an intentional walk reloaded the bases, O'Toole was a strike away from getting out of the jam before Macey Hatfield hit a 2-2 pitch into center field for a two-run, go-ahead single.
That 3-2 OU lead would stand until the bottom of the seventh.
Mo Mercado led off the frame with a single to right and Harper bunted her into scoring position. Statman recorded an infield single to put runners at the corners with one out.
Parker induced a pop fly for the second out before walking
Ashleigh Hughes on a full count to load the bases. Perez, down 0-2 in the count, sent a soft ground ball to first base. OU first baseman Shay Knighten fielded the ball without a play to get the speedy Perez at first, but her toss to second baseman Caleigh Clifton went wide, allowing pinch runner
Alexis Dotson to score the winning run from second base.
Game 2: #5 Arizona 4, Long Beach State 0
Taylor McQuillin threw her third shutout of 2017, striking out 11 49ers and allowing six hits, while the offense supported her with four runs on eight hits to sweep the doubleheader.
Mandie Perez hit her third home run in as many games, a two-run homer to right to start the scoring in the third.
Tamara Statman and
Ashleigh Hughes recorded two hits apiece in the contest.
After the Wildcats climbed on top 2-0 in the third, LBSU threatened to score in the fourth. The 49ers loaded the bases with no one out against McQuillin. The sophomore came back to strike out the next three batters to get out of the jam.
In the next half inning, Arizona had runners at second and third with one out.
Alyssa Palomino singled to left field to plate Perez and put the Wildcats up 3-0. With runners at the corners, Arizona executed a delayed steal of home with
Dejah Mulipola to take a 4-0 lead.
