TUCSON, Ariz. -- No. 2 UCLA defeated Arizona, 7-2 on Saturday in the regular season finale.
The Bruins scored all seven of their runs in a nightmare of a fifth inning for the Wildcats after
Mariah Lopez and
Hanah Bowen had combined to hold UCLA scoreless on one total hit through four innings in a bullpen game for the Cats.
Arizona took the lead, 1-0, on a
Hannah Martinez RBI single in the second inning.
That lead would stand until the fifth, when UCLA took advantage of three walks and an error in an uncharacteristically sloppy inning for UA. A two-run double and then a three-run homer broke the game open.
Arizona threatened in the bottom of the fifth, putting its first two on and getting a pinch-hit RBI single from
Allie Skaggs, but it would be all for the Wildcats in the frame.
In the circle, the Wildcats got 4.2 scoreless innings from
Mariah Lopez with five strikeouts. She pitched the first two innings of the game and then got the final eight outs.
Hanah Bowen pitched the third and fourth innings, not allowing a run on just one hit with three strikeouts. In the fifth,
Alyssa Denham entered and allowed the first two Bruins to reach before she was replaced by
Devyn Netz. The freshman allowed Denham's runners to score and then five of her own on just two hits in the outing. Denham took the loss, dropping to 18-8 on the year.
The Wildcats honored their seven seniors,
Reyna Carranco,
Alyssa Denham,
Jessie Harper,
Mariah Lopez,
Malia Martinez,
Dejah Mulipola and
Alyssa Palomino-Cardoza in a postgame ceremony.
Now, UA, which ended the regular season 36-13 (12-10 Pac-12) will turn its attention to Selection Sunday, which will take place on Sunday at 6 p.m. on ESPN2. Arizona was selected as one of 20 potential host sites for NCAA Regionals and Super Regionals.
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