Jessie Harper hit two more home runs and the No. 12 Arizona Wildcats softball team beat New Mexico State in two mercy-shortened games Tuesday night in Las Cruces, New Mexico.
Harper did her damage with a pair of homers and four RBIs in the first game, an 11-3 UA win in six innings. The junior shortstop has 13 homers this season, most in the NCAA.
The two home runs were the 49th and 50th of Harper's career. In 141 games, Harper became the third fastest in program history to reach the 50-homer mark, trailing only the 136 games it took Stacie Chambers and Katiyana Mauga — UA's all-time home run leader with 92.
Harper has seven home runs in her last six games, including the walk-off shot in Arizona's extra-inning win against No. 19 James Madison on Sunday.
Reyna Carranco also hit home run, finishing 2 for 3 with two RBIs and three runs.
Alyssa Denham (6-1) earned the win in Game 1, allowing three runs on five hits while striking out two Aggies hitters and walking one.
Sahuaro grad Gina Snyder (2-0) earned the win in an 11-1 UA victory in the second game of the doubleheader, as Alyssa Palomino-Cardoza drove in six of the Cats’ 11 runs.
Palomino-Cardoza hit a three-run homer in the third inning and added a three-run double during the Wildcats' eight-run fifth inning that put the game out of reach. Arizona's second run-rule victory of the day was its third in six games.
Arizona (17-5) will put its season-best eight-game win streak to the test against the top-ranked team in the country when the Wildcats host No. 1 Florida State (21-0) for a three-game set this weekend, the last before Pac-12 play commences with No. 24 Oregon in town March 15-17. First pitch against the Seminoles at Hillenbrand Stadium is at 6 p.m. Friday.
