TUCSON, Ariz. -- Arizona junior centerfielder Alyssa Palomino-Cardoza has been named the Pac-12 Player of the Week following Arizona's regular-season-ending series win at No. 3 UCLA, the conference announced on Monday.

Palomino-Cardoza was terrific all weekend for the Wildcats, but her biggest impact came in the seventh inning during the series opener when she broke a 3-3 tie with a two-run home run in the top of the inning and then made a diving catch on the warning track to help lock down the 5-3 victory over the Bruins.

ALYSSA PALOMINO CARDOZA ARE YOU KIDDING ME??

?? » @Pac12Network
?? » https://t.co/6IiaEZVToW pic.twitter.com/FNWlMEtidW

— Arizona Softball (@ArizonaSoftball) May 10, 2019

All told, Palomino-Cardoza led the Wildcats with a .375 average over the three games and drew a walk and was hit by a pitch, contributing to a .500 on-base percentage. Her two-run homer, the 15th long ball of the season for the junior, was one of seven home runs the Wildcats hit against the Bruins, who entered the weekend with the nation's second-best ERA.

Palomino-Cardoza's offensive and defensive heroics in game 1 were a perfect showcase of her first-team all-Pac-12 and Pac-12 all-defensive team awards she received just two days prior. Palomino-Cardoza ranks eighth in the Pac-12 in batting average (.382), fourth in slugging percentage (.776), third in on-base percentage (.481), fourth in runs scored (54), sixth in hits (65), fourth in RBI (56), first in doubles (18), sixth in home runs (15), third in total bases (132) and third in walks (31).

This is Palomino-Cardoza's first ever Pac-12 Player of the Week honor and second weekly honor; she was the Pac-12 Freshman of the Week in week 8 of 2017. This marks Arizona's first Pac-12 Player of the Week honor of the season and fourth weekly award; UA has received three Pac-12 Pitcher of the Week honors (Taylor McQuillin, 2; Alyssa Denham, 1). 

UP NEXT

Arizona received the national No. 6 seed in the 2019 NCAA Tournament and will host the Tucson Regional, this Friday-Sunday at Hillenbrand Stadium. The Cats open the event vs. Harvard at 8:30 p.m. MST on Friday night. 

CAT CLICKS
2019 Schedule
Tucson Regional Information
Gameday Information
 
FOLLOW @ARIZONASOFTBALL
Twitter
Instagram