Wildcats surrender seventh-inning grand slam, fall to Washington; UA has lost eight straight

All Arizona pitcher Hanah Bowen could do was watch in disbelief as Washington’s Baylee Klinger rounded the bases after launching a go-ahead grand slam in the seventh inning Saturday.

Washington scored five times in the final frame, winning 7-5 and handing the Wildcats their eighth straight loss.

“It’s just closing, it’s just finishing,” Wildcats coach Caitlin Lowe said of Bowen’s — and the team’s — performance.

The 19th-ranked Wildcats, desperately needing a break to go their way, will try again Sunday to snap out of their midseason funk.

Simply put, the Wildcats (19-12, 0-8 Pac-12) aren’t catching any breaks. Down to their last out with a runner on second, the UA’s Sophia Carroll lined what looked to be a base hit. Instead, the ball hit Sharlize Palacios’ foot as she tried to advance to third base, and Palacios was ruled out.

The late-game collapse comes on the heels of Friday’s series opener in which the Cats let go of a 7-5 lead to No. 11 Washington. For much of Saturday, Arizona looked in control and ready to end its losing skid. The Wildcats scored runs in the second, third, fourth and fifth innings to grab a 5-2 lead.

040322-tuc-spt-uasoftball-p2 — Arizona outfielder Giulia Koutsoyanopulos can’t track down Baylee Klingler’s grand slam.
Kelly Presnell, Arizona Daily Star

Freshman pitcher Madi Elish delivered four innings to start Saturday, giving up just four hits — two of which were solo home runs. Arizona’s pitcher looked calm and confident — a stark contrast to last weekend, when she allowed eight runs in less than four innings against ASU.

“To see her compete and just do well, she knows that we have her back and I feel it back from her,” sophomore second baseman Allie Skaggs said.

Arizona loaded the bases in the bottom of the first inning, but was unable to scratch across a run.

“That first inning hurt us from not being able to put someone away early,” Lowe said. “Throughout the game, we had some scattered give-away at-bats.”

Arizona opened scoring the following inning, when a Paige Dimler ripped a solo home run that snuck just inside the right field foul pole. UW’s Klinger tied the game in the third with a solo blast that hit halfway up the left-field bleachers.

Klinger, the seventh-inning hero, went 2 for 4 with five RBIs.

Skaggs launched her ninth home run of the year in the bottom of the third to break the tie. An inning later, a well-executed sacrifice bunt from Carroll sent Dimler from first to third and paved the way for Bailey Thompson’s pinch-hit RBI single. Arizona led 3-1.

Elish surrendered a solo homer in the fifth, spelling the end of her outing. In came Bowen, who had given up at least three runs in each of her last three appearances.

Bowen masterfully punched out the next two Washington hitters, then got a flyout to center field.

With Carlie Scupin and Palacios in scoring position and only one out, Blaise Biringer delivered Arizona’s biggest hit of the afternoon to plate both and make it a 5-2 UA advantage.

Arizona’s lead held until the seventh. The Huskies loaded the bases with back-to-back bloop singles and a hit-by-pitch. Bowen got SilentRain Espinoza looking for the first out before walking the next batter. A run scored, cutting Arizona’s lead to 5-3.

Klinger worked a 2-1 count, then sent a knee-high pitch to dead center field, where it bounced off the batter’s eye.

Despite the recent skid, Lowe says she’s seeing important improvements — especially from the mental side.

“We show up like we’re going to win, and that’s important,” Lowe said. “I think what’s missing is that cohesion with the pitching staff, to the defense, to the hitting. I think it’s coming, but it’s going to take everyone playing a complete game for us to be successful.”