TUCSON, Ariz. -- Entering the weekend, fourth-ranked Arizona softball led the NCAA in home runs. It made sure that lead was safe at least one more day. The Wildcats hit a season-most seven home runs, seven of their 17 hits on the night, as the Cats crushed Stanford in the series opener, 20-1, in five innings at Hillenbrand Stadium.
The Cats hit five home runs in the first inning, setting a new school record; the seven homers were one off the UA record for homers in a game. The Cats sit at 63 big flies for the season, 20 more than any other team in the Pac-12.
Jessie Harper hit two home runs in the first inning, the second time she has hit two homers in an inning this year. Harper grabbed the Pac-12-lead in home runs from teammate
Katiyana Mauga, who also homered on the night.
Dejah Mulipola,
Alyssa Palomino,
Mo Mercado and
Hillary Edior also hit home runs for the Cats.
For Mauga, it was home run No. 80 on the year, making her just the ninth player in NCAA history with 80 career home runs, four of which played for Arizona. She sits seven big flies back of Stacie Chambers and the Arizona career record.
Palomino went 2-for-2 with a grand slam and a three-run triple. The freshman, who led the Pac-12 in RBI entering the day, added seven more to her name, giving her 49 for the season. Keep in mind, the Cats have surrendered 38 total runs all year long.
Arizona improved to 38-1 on the season with the victory, its 23rd in-a-row and 21st in-a-row at Hillenbrand Stadium. The Wildcats are 10-0 in Pac-12/10 play for the first time since 1994. With Oregon's loss on Friday to UCLA, Arizona now owns the best record in the NCAA. On Saturday, the Cats will look to become the first team in the country to win 39 of their first 40 games since the 2004 Wildcats accomplished it.
Danielle O'Toole picked up her 20th victory in the circle, pitching three scoreless innings before giving way to
Nancy Bowling, who gave up one run on two hits in the final two frames. O'Toole improved to 20-1 with her three-strikeout, three-hit effort.
The Wildcats got the scoring going in the first as they so often do. UA plated 13 runs on nine hits, five of which were home runs, including two by Harper. The Cats had six runs, three homers and five hits before the Cardinal got an out. Mulipola, Mercado and Palomino had the other three homers for the Cats. Arizona has now scored 88 runs during first innings this season.
UA added five more in the second. Palomino stepped up to the plate with the bases loaded for the second time in two innings. After hitting a grand slam her first try, Palomino tripled the bases clear the second. Mauga followed with a homer to center field to put the Wildcats up 18-0.
In the fourth, Edior hit a home run, her second in her last two at-bats dating back to last week, and
Jaycee Lindley drove in a run with a single up the middle.
Stanford got on the board with a solo homer in the fifth by Whitney Burks.
Up Next: Arizona will go for its fourth straight Pac-12 series win on Saturday at 3 p.m. on the Pac-12 Networks.
Follow Arizona Softball: For further coverage of Arizona softball, visit ArizonaWildcats.com and follow the team's Twitter and Instagram accounts (@UA_Softball).
