March 23, 2002

Box Score

TUCSON - Jennie Finch's two-out, two-run home run in the bottom of the sixth gave Arizona the mercy-rule runs it needed to give No. 3 Arizona an 8-0 victory over No. 18 Louisiana-Lafayette Saturday night.

UA pitcher Jenny Gladding threw her seventh shutout of the season and scattered three hits to improve her record to 13-4.

The Wildcats extended their home-field winning streak to 67 games, spanning the 2000, 2001 and 2002 seasons.

Coburn brought in UA's second run in the next inning, though the Cats squandered an opportunity for a big rally. Lovie Jung walked, Courtney Fossatti singled and Leneah Manuma was hit by a pitch to load the bases with no outs. Lady Cajuns pitcher Brooke Mitchell (7-4) got Jennie Finch to pop up and struck out Mackenzie Vandergeest before Coburn beat out an infield single to drive in Jung.

Manuma's fielder's choice with the bases loaded drove in a run in the fourth, and UA scored another on the play when the shortstop threw the ball away trying for a double play, to make it 4-0.

Vandergeest led off the fifth with her eighth home run of the season to push the score to 5-0. Manuma doubled in a run after Jung singled in the sixth, then Finch clouted her 11th home run of the year to end the game.

The Lady Cajuns (21-8) and Arizona (30-4) complete the three-game series Sunday at 1 p.m. at Hillenbrand Stadium.