Feb. 9, 2002

Box Score

Leneah Manuma hit a grand slam in the first inning and a three-run home run in the seventh to propel top-ranked Arizona to a 9-1 victory over Cal State Fullerton in Fiesta Bowl softball tournament action Saturday. Finch threw a two-hitter and tied a career high with 14 strikeouts to improve to 3-0.

UA jumped on the scoreboard in a hurry. A walk-single-walk by Lovie Jung, Courtney Fossatti and Mackenzie Vandergeest loaded the bases in the top of the first and Manuma hit her second home run of the year, a grand slam to the opposite field in left. CSUF's Christy Robitaille (0-2) walked two more runners in the inning but UA couldn't capitalize further.

Shawna Robinson singled off Finch with one out in the third and Julie Watson reached on Lovie Jung's error to put a runner in scoring position, but Robinson was forced out at third by UA leftfielder Courtney Fossatti on Jodie Cox's potential single and Finch struck out Monica Lucatero to end the threat.

Jenny Gladding's sacrifice fly increased UA's lead to 5-0 in the fourth without a hit, after Mackenzie Vandergeest led off with a walk, Leneah Manuma was hit by a pitch and a fielder's choice by Finch moved Vandergeest to third.

Arizona (6-0) put the leadoff hitter on base in every inning, but stranded 14 runners and couldn't break the game open against Robitaille (0-2) or reliever Jodie Cox, who entered in the top of the second, until a seventh-inning outburst highlighted by Vandergeest's RBI single and Manuma's three-run homer.

The Titans (2-3) scored their run with one hit in the sixth. With one out, Monica Lucatero walked, and pinch runner Heather Saltarelli stole second. Finch struck out Kristy Halagarda and she struck out Amanda Hockett for what would have been the third out, but the pitch was wild and Hockett reached first. Gina Oaks' bunt single scored Saltarelli from third. Vandergeest threw Oaks out on an attempted steal to end the inning.