Arizona apparently had a few home runs left over.
After blasting five Friday night, the No. 10 Wildcats crushed five more in Saturdayβs 14-0 victory over Utah. The same culprits struck again as Arizona won its 27th straight home game, its longest such streak since winning 70 in a row during the early 2000s. Arizona won the second game of Saturdayβs doubleheader, 6-4; per Pac-12 rules, the late game did not count toward the conference standings.
The teams will wrap up their four-game series Sunday at noon.
Dejah Mulipola sparked the offensive barrage with her 14th homer of the season in the first inning. Sharlize Palacios, who had two on Friday, clobbered another one right behind her. Palacios added another in the second game of the doubleheader, a grand slam in the first inning. The two catchers have combined for nearly 100 RBIs this season, wreaking havoc in the middle of the lineup.
The top duo, Janelle Meono and Reyna Carranco, have given them plenty of opportunities. Meono recorded a hit in both of Saturdayβs games to extend her hitting streak to 24, and Carranco went 2 for 2 with a double and a walk.
But nearly everyone has been able to join the hit parade the last two days. Freshman Carlie Scupin drilled home runs in back-to-back games. Alyssa Palomino-Cardoza lifted a flyball down the left-field line Saturday that inched its way over the wall, and Malia Martinez also homered both Friday and Saturday.
With so much run support, Alyssa Denham faced little pressure in the circle, as she completed the three-hit shutout on only 59 pitches. The tall right-hander had two walks and two strikeouts, relying on her defense, which gladly provided assistance. Gaining her 15th win of the year, Denham dropped her ERA to 1.84. Thatβs better than the lowest ERA sheβs posted in a season, 1.85 in 2017.
Shortstop Jessie Harper, who had a sacrifice fly in the second inning, nabbed a few short-hop grounders and left fielder Jasmine Perezchica made a sliding grab behind shortstop in the fourth.
Although Arizona stumbled at Arizona State, losing all three conference games, the Wildcats remain in the hunt for a spot among the Pac-12 elite. At 8-5, they have the third-fewest conference losses behind UCLA and Washington, which are dueling this weekend in Los Angeles.
