LAS CRUCES, N.M. – No. 21 Arizona improved to 26-12-1 following a pair of mercy wins over New Mexico State on Tuesday.
Arizona hit nine home runs across the doubleheader, led by
Dakota Kennedy with three homers and
Allie Skaggs with two. The Wildcats' nine home runs in the doubleheader tied the program record for home runs in a doubleheader when Arizona hit nine homers against NMSU in 2014.
Game 1 | #21 Arizona 17, New Mexico State 8 (6 inn.)
Arizona won the first game of the doubleheader, 17-8, in six innings against New Mexico State.
The Wildcats tallied a season-high 19 hits and 14 RBI and hit four home runs.
Kaiah Altmeyer went a career-best 4-for-4 with four RBI and
Jasmine Perezchica went 3-for-3.
Dakota Kennedy went 4-for-5 with two home runs and drove in four runs.
New Mexico State struck first with two runs in the first inning. An RBI fielder's choice and a sac bunt brought in the pair of runs for the Aggies.
In the top of the second, Altmeyer brought in Arizona's first run with an RBI single. The Aggies scored one run in the bottom of the inning on a double for a two-run lead.
Arizona's offense exploded for five runs in the third to take a three-run lead over NMSU. Kennedy tied the game in the third with a two-run home run. A pair of RBI groundouts from Skaggs and
Blaise Biringer added two more runs for the Cats. Altmeyer hit a solo home run – her second career homer – for Arizona's fifth run of the inning.
NMSU answered in the third with a solo home run to make it 6-4.
The Wildcats plated two runs in the fourth on a wild pitch and a sacrifice fly from Scupin.
A four-run fifth inning extended Arizona's lead to eight runs. Altmeyer recorded a bunt single and took advantage of an Aggie error to score herself and Biringer. Kennedy then hit her second home run of the game – a two-run shot to left field – to round out the inning.
The Aggies scored four in the bottom of the fifth on a two-run home run, an RBI double, and an RBI single.
In the sixth, the Wildcats scored five runs. Skaggs hit her 11th home run of the season – a solo home run – to give Arizona a 13-8 lead.
Jasmine Perezchica drove in a run with a perfectly-placed single down the left line.
Regan Shockey hit her second career double to bring in three runs for the Cats.
Aissa Silva earned the win after entering in relief in the sixth and holding the Aggies scoreless to secure the mercy win.
Ali Blanchard started the game in the circle, going 2.0 innings and giving up three runs on three hits.
Miranda Stoddard relieved Blanchard in the third and allowed five runs to score on six hits in 3.0 innings.
Game 2 | #21 Arizona 11, NMSU 3 (6 inn.)
Arizona run-ruled the second game, 11-3, in six innings to sweep the doubleheader. The Wildcats hit five home runs and scored 11 runs on nine hits. Scupin went 2-for-3 and Kennedy drove in three runs to lead the Cats.
The Aggies scored two in the first inning for an early lead. The Wildcats tied the game in the top of the second on an RBI hit-by-pitch and an RBI groundout. Kennedy hit her third home run of the day – a three-run homer – to give Arizona a 5-3 lead.
Scupin added one run for the Cats in the third with a solo home run. NMSU answered with a solo home run in the bottom of the inning.
In the fourth, Arizona took a four-run lead on an RBI bunt single by Shockey.
The Wildcats hit a pair of back-to-back home runs from Altmeyer and
Olivia DiNardo in the fifth to make it 9-3.
Skaggs hit a two-run home run in the sixth inning – her 12th of the season – to give Arizona an eight-run lead.
Silva picked up her Pac-12 leading 16th win of the season after pitching 4.0 total innings. Silva started the game and allowed two runs to score before
Brooke Mannon entered in relief in the third. Mannon pitched 2.0 innings and held NMSU to one run on three hits. Silva reentered in the fifth and kept the Aggies scoreless to close out the win.
Up Next
Arizona will return home for two-straight weekends beginning with a three-game series against Oregon beginning on Friday, April 12.
