TUSCALOOS, Ala. – Arizona defeated Marshall 7-6 in the early game before No. 4 Alabama used a walkoff error to win game 2, 4-3.
Game 1 – Arizona 7, Marshall 6
Facing an early 4-0 deficit, Arizona softball scored seven unanswered runs to defeat Marshall in the first game of the Easton Bama Bash on Friday.
The Thundering Herd broke a scoreless tie with a two-out, two-strike grand slam in the third before the Wildcats responded with two runs in the bottom of the third, two in the fourth and three runs in the fifth.
Six different Wildcats recorded RBI in the contest, including a two-RBI game from Tamara Statman.
Taylor McQuillin (3-1) earned the win for the Wildcats, pitching six strong innings, allowing six runs, four earned, on eight hits with eight strikeouts and no walks. Danielle O'Toole earned her first save of her career with a 1-2-3 seventh.
With the bases loaded and two out in the top of the third, Marshall cleanup hitter Briana Daiss, hit her fourth home run of the season, taking McQuillin's 3-2 pitch to left-center. The grand slam put Marshall up 4-0.
Arizona's offense, which did not have a hit to this point, responded courtesy of a pair of Marshall errors in the bottom half to cut the Herd's lead in half.
The errors seemed to wake up Arizona's bats as the Cats would go on to plate five runs on seven hits over the next two innings to take the lead.
Meanwhile, McQuillin settled into a groove before a bizarre play in the sixth inning brought Marshall closer. With two on and two out, Marshall centerfielder Morgan Zerkle hit a soft ground ball to Arizona first baseman Nancy Bowling, who camped out in the first base line and tagged Zerkle. But Zerkle ran over Bowling, dislodging the ball and allowing two unearned runs to score and make the game 7-6. A pair of stolen bases later, Marshall had the tying run at third, but McQuillin's eighth strikeout of the game kept the lead safe before O'Toole closed the door in the seventh.
Game 2 – #4 Alabama 4, #15 Arizona 3
Arizona's defense committed four costly errors, including a walkoff two-run error that propelled fourth-ranked Alabama to a 4-3 victory thanks to four unearned runs on Friday night.
The Wildcats entered the bottom the seventh with a 3-2 lead before two errors helped the Crimson Tide walk off on Arizona.
Danielle O'Toole did not allow an earned run in another phenomenal start, limiting the Alabama offense to just five hits. The redshirt junior (5-2) took the loss despite not allowing an earned run. O'Toole struck out six in the outing.
Meanwhile, Arizona's offense managed just three hits off Alabama starter Alexis Osorio (3-0), but were able to plate three clutch runs over the fourth and fifth innings to turn a 2-0 deficit into a 3-2 lead. The lead stood until the two-run seventh.
Mo Mercado, Katiyana Mauga and Alexis Dotson each recorded RBI in the game for Arizona, which was two outs away from its second top-five victory in the last week.
Alabama got on the board in the bottom of the first thanks to a passed ball and then doubled its lead in the third. Hayley McCleney reached on an error and scored on one of three hits by Leona Lafaele.
The Wildcats, who did not have a base runner the first time through the order, began the fourth with a HBP and a walk to put the Cats in business. On a shallow fly ball to right, Mandie Perez advanced to third and Tamara Statman moved to second on the play. Katiyana Mauga then hit a ground ball to second base. Perez started for home before the Alabama defense caught her in a pickle. Perez won the pickle to score UA's first run of the game. Alexis Dotson followed with Arizona's first hit of the game to tie it up at 2. UA would go on to strand runners at second and third.
Ashleigh Hughes worked a one-out walk in the top of the fifth inning, stole second and advanced to third on Statman's single. With runners at second and third and two out, Mercado singled home Hughes to give Arizona the lead but Statman was thrown out at the plate to end the frame.
UA's 4-3 lead stood as O'Toole continued to cruise through the fifth and sixth before Chandler Dare led off the bottom of the seventh with a double to left field. The next batter grounded out before Demi Turner hit a ground ball to short. The throw from Mercado was low and put the tying run at third and winning run at second for the Crimson Tide.
O'Toole then pitched around All-American McCleney to load the bases and set a force at any base. The next batter, Reagan Dykes hit a ground ball to Mercado at short. Mercado's throw home was dropped by catcher Robyn Porter, allowing both the tying and winning runs to score on the play.
Up Next: It's an all-SEC Saturday for the Wildcats tomorrow as UA takes on No. 14 Tennessee and No. 4 Alabama beginning at 10 a.m. MST.
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