TUCSON, Ariz. – In a pitchers' duel between two of the nation's top pitchers, Washington's Gabbie Plain got the better of Arizona's Taylor McQuillin in game 1 of a top-10 showdown between #6 Arizona and #3 Washington. The Huskies defeated the Wildcats, 2-1 on Friday in front of another sold-out crowd at Hillenbrand Stadium.
 
The Wildcats outhit the Huskies in the game, 6-3, but went just 2-of-13 with runners in scoring position and stranded nine runners on base. Arizona's 13 chances with runners in scoring position far exceeded Washington's three against McQuillin.
 
In the end, the nation's No. 2 home run hitting team got a dose of its own medicine, falling victim to a two-run Morganne Flores home run in the top of the third that would be all the support that Plain (18-2) needed in the circle. She allowed one run on six hits with two strikeouts and two walks in 6.2 innings pitched. Taran Alvelo earned the save by getting the final out in the seventh inning, stranding the tying run in scoring position.
 
McQuillin (19-6) was brilliant aside from one mistake pitch to Flores. In total, she allowed two runs on three hits with four strikeouts and three walks.
 
Alyssa Palomino-Cardoza led the way for the Wildcat offense, single-handedly equaling Washington's team hit total with three, half of UA's six on the night. Jessie Harper had the RBI single for the Wildcats in the seventh, her Pac-12-best 59th RBI.
 
The Wildcats (40-9, 17-2 Pac-12) will look to avoid dropping their first Pac-12 series of the season on Saturday as the Huskies (40-7, 15-4 Pac-12) will look to get right back into the thick of the Pac-12 Championship race after UCLA (17-2 Pac-12) lost on Friday. Arizona and UCLA end the season vs. one another.
 
KEY INNINGS
 
Top 3: Washington took a 2-0 lead on a two-out, two-run home run by Flores. (2-0, UW)
 
Bottom 7: Needing two runs to tie the game in the bottom of the seventh inning, Hannah Martinez led off with a single followed two batters later by Palomino-Cardoza's third hit of the night to put runners on the corners. With two out, Jessie Harper singled in a run to chase Plain in favor of Alvelo. With the tying run in scoring position and the winning run at first, Alvelo struck out Dejah Mulipola to end the game. (2-1, UW)
 
 
UP NEXT
 
Arizona and Washington will meet in game 2 on Saturday at 1 p.m. MST.
 
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