TUCSON, Ariz. – Arizona softball senior pitcher threw a two-hit shutout while her offense supported her with three home runs as the 11th-ranked Wildcats opened their rivalry series with an 8-0, five-inning win over No. 18 Arizona State in front of a sold out Hillenbrand Stadium crowd.
 
McQuillin (11-5) shut down the nation's top scoring team (9.12 runs/game entering the game), limiting the Sun Devils to two hits while striking out eight and walking one. The shutout was McQuillin's sixth of the season. McQuillin, who retired the first 10 batters of the game before surrendering her first hit, lowered her Pac-12 ERA to 0.34 (1 ER in 20.1 IP).
 
The Cats needed just four hits to do the damage offensively. Three of UA's hits were home runs – two-run homers by Malia Martinez and Tamara Statman and a three-run homer by Dejah Mulipola – while the fourth was a Reyna Carranco triple. UA drew three walks and was hit by one pitch. All four free passes scored; UA did not strand a runner in the game.
 
Carranco's fifth-inning triple, her first of the season, extended her career-long hitting streak to 14 games. She scored the winning run when Jessie Harper delivered a sacrifice fly to center to end the game.
 
Now, the Wildcats (25-7, 7-0 Pac-12) are one win away from their fourth straight series win over the Sun Devils (25-9, 5-2 Pac-12) and are one win away from their sixth straight Pac-12 series win (dating back to last season). Arizona and ASU meet on Saturday in game 2 of the series beginning at 5 p.m. MST.
 
KEY INNINGS
 
Bottom 2: After Dejah Mulipola became the game's first baserunner when she was hit by a pitch to begin the inning, Malia Martinez clubbed her seventh homer of the year, making it three straight games with a long ball for the junior. (2-0, UA)
 
Bottom 3: The Cats put up a five-spot on a pair of two-out homers. Jenna Kean and Alyssa Palomino-Cardoza were walked to start the inning before ASU starter Samantha Mejia retired the next two hitters. But before she could get out of the inning, Mulipola hit her 14th home run of the season, a three-run shot to center field. After another walk, Tamara Statman homered to right to put the Cats up by a touchdown. (7-0, UA)
 
Bottom 5: Reyna Carranco led off with a triple down the left field line. Jessie Harper followed with a sacrifice fly to center to plate Carranco and win the game. (8-0, UA)
 
UP NEXT
 
Arizona will go for the series win in game 2 of the series on Saturday at 5 p.m. on the Pac-12 Networks.
 
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