(Photo Courtesy of Arizona Athletics)
TUCSON – UA pitchers allowed one hit, while Katiyana Mauga hit her first-career grand slam in Arizona’s 11-1, five-inning victory over UTEP to open the two-game series Tuesday night at Hillenbrand Stadium.
Shelby Babcock (4-0) and Estela Piñon combined to allow a single hit in the five-inning victory, a Colleen Hohman solo homer in the second off of Babcock. The senior struck out three and did not walk a batter in her three innings of work. Piñon entered in the fourth inning and allowed just a single baserunner, a one-out walk in the fifth. The senior struck out four in two innings of work.
Mauga’s first-inning grand slam set the tone for the game, as UA would plate 11 runs, marking the fifth, and second consecutive, game that Arizona has scored double-digit runs on the season.
Chelsea Goodacre (2-for-3, 2 RBI) and Alex Lavine (2-for-2, 2B, 1 RBI) also shined offensively for the Cats. Lavine is now 9-for-her-last-15 (.600) over her last six games.
The Wildcats took advantage of eight UTEP walks and two Miner errors, which led to a pair of unearned runs.
In the first inning, Arizona sent 10 players to the plate and scored six runs on just three hits. Hallie Wilson was hit by a pitch and Kellie Fox drew her team-high 13th walk of the year to put two on for Goodacre. A wild pitch moved both into scoring position before Goodacre drove them in with a single up the middle. After a pair of walks, Mauga hit a line-drive grand slam to straightaway center field, the freshman’s third career homer and Arizona’s third grand slam of 2014.
UTEP’s Hohman led off the second with her third homer of the season. It would be the only hit UA pitchers would surrender all game.
Arizona added three runs in the second. UA loaded the bases for the second time in two innings on a pair of singles and a walk with one out. A Lauren Young groundout brought in the first run of the frame before Mo Mercado and Lavine would follow with RBI singles to put Arizona ahead 9-1 after two.
In the bottom of the third, a bases-loaded, two-out error allowed two additional runs to score to put UA ahead 11-1.
