TUCSON, Ariz. – Ninth-ranked Arizona swept Wednesday's doubleheader with UTEP, defeating the Miners 17-1 in five innings in game 1 and 5-1 in game 2.
 
The wins were the 10th and 11th consecutive for the Cats, who will now carry their season-long winning streak to Salt Lake City, where they will meet Utah in a three-game series this weekend.
 
Jessie Harper and Alyssa Palomino-Cardoza each hit two home runs in the doubleheader. Harper's two gave her a career-high-tying 19 on the season, tied with Georgia's Alyssa DiCarlo for the NCAA lead. Alyssa Palomino-Cardoza's two were her 12th and 13th of the season.
 
Game 1: #9 Arizona 17, UTEP 1 (5 inn.)
 
Arizona scored a season-high 17 runs, 13 of which came in a marathon of a second inning, as the Cats overwhelmed the Miners, 17-1 in five innings in the early game.
 
The Wildcats scored their 17 runs on a season-most 16 hits. Ten Wildcats recorded hits in the contest, including multi-hit efforts from Alyssa Palomino-Cardoza (3), Reyna Carranco (2), Jessie Harper (2), Malia Martinez (2) and Carli Campbell (2).
 
Palomino-Cardoza, Harper and Martinez all homered in the game. The trio drove in 15 of UA's 17 runs. Palomino-Cardoza went 3-for-3 with five RBI. Martinez set a career high with six RBI in the second inning alone, posting a three-run home run and a three-run double in the frame. Harper went 2-for-2 with four RBI in the game.
 
Marissa Schuld (2-0), making her second career start, picked up the victory in the circle for the Cats. The freshman allowed one unearned run on four hits with one strikeout over four innings before Gina Snyder entered and pitched a perfect fifth.
 
The Cats took a three-run lead three batters into the bottom of the first inning when Jessie Harper hit a three-run homer to center to give the Cats the early 3-0 lead.
 
In the second, the Cats batted around twice and scored 13 runs, their most prolific inning since scoring 13 in the first inning vs. Stanford on April 17, 2017. Martinez brought in six of UA's 13 runs in the inning, blasting a three-run homer her first time up before hitting a three-run double her next time up. Alyssa Palomino-Cardoza also had a grand slam in the frame.
 
After UTEP scored an unearned run in the top of the third to end UA's consecutive scoreless inning streak at 31.1 innings, the Cats plated another run in the bottom of the third on an Izzy Pacho pinch-hit single.
 
Game 2: #9 Arizona 5, UTEP 1
 
The Cats finished off their doubleheader sweep on Wednesday with a 5-1 victory in game 2.
 
Both Jessie Harper and Alyssa Palomino-Cardoza hit their second homers of the day in the bottom of the fifth inning. Hillary Edior also notched her first RBI of the season with a double in the second inning.
 
Vanessa Foreman (1-0) earned her first career victory, allowing one run on six hits with two strikeouts and zero walks in four innings. Hanah Bowen pitched three nearly perfect innings of relief to pick up her second save of the season. The sophomore allowed one baserunner, a seventh inning walk, in three hitless innings with four strikeouts.
 
UTEP jumped out to an early lead with a Kacey Duffield home run in the top of the first inning.
 
UA would take the lead in the bottom of the second on Edior's double and then a run-scoring passed ball to put the Cats up 2-1.
 
Arizona would add on in the fifth with a solo homer from Palomino-Cardoza, followed two batters later by a Harper homer.
 
UP NEXT
 
The Wildcats head to Salt Lake City for a three-game series at Utah this weekend. The Cats and the Utes meet on Friday (5 p.m.), Saturday (11 a.m.) and Sunday (11 a.m.).
 
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