(Photo Courtesy of Arizona Athletics)
PALM SPRINGS, Calif. – Arizona plated six runs in the third and eight runs in fourth as it cruised to a 14-1, five-inning victory over UNLV to close the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic.
Arizona finished the Mary Nutter Collegiate Classic 4-1 and improved to 13-1 on the season.
The Wildcats’ offense has scored 107 runs this season while its pitchers have allowed just eight total runs. The eight runs allowed by UA pitchers were equaled by the Arizona offense during just the fourth inning on Saturday.
Kelsey Rodriguez and Kellie Fox homered in the contest, while Chelsea Goodacre, Courtney Rodriguez, Katiyana Mauga and Alex Lavine also brought in runs in the game.
Michelle Floyd (3-0) allowed two hits and did not walk a batter in the start. The freshman struck out two in three innings of work. Kenzie Fowler allowed a single hit in two innings, but the hit was a home run by Pauline Monreal, just the third home run surrendered by UA pitching this season.
Lavine notched her third multi-hit game of the tournament with a 2-for-3 performance. Fox and Kelsey Rodriguez also notched two hits in the game.
Arizona had just one baserunner through the first two innings Saturday before the offense got to work in the third.
Mauga led off the inning with a ground-rule double and moved to third on Lavine’s single. Hallie Wilson’s HBP loaded the bases with no one out. After a fielder’s choice, Fox walked in a run, her first of four RBI on the day. Goodacre followed with a two-run single up the middle before Kelsey Rodriguez cleared the bases with her first home run of the season.
In the fourth Fox hit a two-run homer to left to get the scoring going before a pair of walks and a single loaded the bases. Mauga drew a walk to drive in a run before Lavine, Courtney Rodriguez and Fox registered RBI singles to give Arizona a 14-1 lead.
Arizona returns home next week to host UTEP in a midweek series (Tuesday and Wednesday) before welcoming UT-Arlington, Valparaiso, Iowa, Indiana and Longwood for the Wildcat Invitational (Friday-Sunday).
