March 24, 2002

Box Score

TUCSON - Jennie Finch tied her personal best with 15 strikeouts but allowed a season-high seven hits in leading No. 3-ranked Arizona to a 7-2 college softball victory over Louisiana-Lafayette Sunday afternoon before a crowd of 1,141 at Hillenbrand Stadium.

The victory gave the Cats (31-4) a three-game sweep over the No. 18-ranked Lady Cajuns (21-9).

UA took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the second on an RBI single by Allyson VonLichtenstein and a run-scoring fielder's choice by Lovie Jung.

Becky McMurtry homered to deep right-center with one out in the top of the third to cut the lead to 2-1. Arizona stretched it to 5-1 with a rally in the fourth. A hit, walk and hit loaded the bases and Jung knocked a two-run single. Courtney Fossatti walked to re-load the bases and Leneah Manuma hit a sacrifice fly.

Louisiana-Lafayette loaded the bases with two outs in the fifth when Finch gave up a single to McMurtry, hit Alana Addison with a pitch and walked Missy Martin, but then struck out Jill Robertson to end the threat.

Manuma blasted a two-run home run, her 16th of the year, to extend the lead to 7-1. McMurtry answered with her second of the game and 10th of the season to make it 7-2. t was the fifth home run given up by Wildcat pitcher Jennie Finch this year.

Arizona extended its home-field winning streak to 68 consecutive games spanning three seasons. Finch extended her NCAA-record personal winning streak to 58 games.

Arizona opens Pacific-10 Conference play on the road next Friday and Saturday at Arizona State. Louisiana-Lafayette returns to Lafayette to play host to Southwest Texas State on Thursday