In the fifth inning of Friday’s game, history finally happened.
Katiyana Mauga ripped a ball to left field for a solo home run, her 20th of the season and the 87th of her career. The blast gave No. 3 Arizona the cushion it needed in a 2-0 win over sixth-ranked Oregon at Hillenbrand Stadium. For a moment, its historical significance — the blast tied Stacie Chambers’ record for the most career homers in UA history — was replaced by sheer joy.
Mauga started to smile as she rounded third base. By the time the slugger reached home, her entire team was waiting for her. Then Mauga retreated to the dugout, and the moment was over.
How little has Mauga focused on the record this season? Following the game, she asked for a clarification.
“Is it a tie?” Mauga said. “OK, well, I mean, I wasn’t really thinking about it during that time. But I cleared my head, and (now) I’m tied, but there’s lots more games left.”
With another one, Mauga will be Arizona’s all-time leader. She needs nine more to break the NCAA record. She’s the first player in NCAA history to hit at least 20 home runs in four straight seasons.
“She’s very good at ignoring that,” said outfielder Ashleigh Hughes. “When everybody is talking about it all the time, you don’t want to make it seem like you’re trying to do it so her being focused is really cool, and none of us make it a big deal, so it kind of helps her just stay focused and get hits when we need them.”
Arizona (44-3, 14-2 Pac-12) didn’t necessarily need Mauga’s home run, though it certainly helped provide a cushion for starting pitcher Danielle O’Toole.
And, really, the home run wasn’t even the best play Mauga made Friday night.
Oregon (37-5, 10-5) loaded the bases in the sixth inning. Danica Mercado doubled off O’Toole (24-2) with one out, Gwen Svekis hit an infield single and Oregon star Nikki Udria walked. After a force out at home, Oregon first baseman Mia Camuso fouled off a ball toward third base.
Mauga, the third baseman, ran around Mercado and avoided UA coach Mike Candrea to make a diving catch, ending the inning.
“I was a little concerned that it could’ve been coach’s interference,” Candrea said. “I know what it’s like at third base, you want to move but you want to move with her. I thought ‘Oh god. Here’s an out, and something’s gonna happen.’ But she got around it and made the catch so that was big.”
O’Toole added: “It was great. It obviously saved the game.”
Arizona, the national leader in home runs, scored its first run playing small ball.
In the first inning, leadoff batter Mandie Perez was hit by a pitch, Mauga moved her to second on a single, and Perez scored from second after Oregon’s Jenna Lilley misjudged a groundball hit by shortstop Mo Mercado.
That was all the run support O’Toole needed.
Despite the sixth-inning trouble, O’Toole escaped and pitched a complete game, allowing five hits, striking out three and walking one.
“Toolie, you can’t say enough about her,” Candrea said.
The Wildcats were swept in three games last year at Oregon and didn’t score a run. It felt good to win the first game, at Hillenbrand, this time around, they said.
“Absolutely amazing,” Hughes said. “We work really hard, and this is a big series for us obviously. It’s a top-10 matchup, and we’re just coming out trying to play our game.”
O’Toole added: “You know what? It always feels good. But there’s two more, and the third one is always the hardest, for me at least. So now we’ve got two more.”
