TUCSON, Ariz. -- Ninth-ranked Arizona Softball finished off a two-game sweep of California, run-ruling the Golden Bears for the second straight game, 11-1 in five innings on Sunday.
The Wildcats used a nine-run second inning to do the heavy damage. Arizona scored nine runs on 10 hits in the frame to break the game open.
In all, Arizona scored its 11 runs on 13 hits with three home runs, including No. 88 in the career of
Jessie Harper, who passed Wildcat Stacie Chambers for fourth in NCAA history.
Reyna Carranco hit her first homer of the season and
Sharlize Palacios tied for the team lead with 15 home runs.
Janelle Meoño remained on fire in the batter's box as well. The freshman went 3-for-3 for the second straight game and is now 7-for-her-last-7 at the plate. She extended her hitting streak to 27 games, tying for the 22nd longest in NCAA history and fourth longest in the history of the sport by a freshman. She increased her Pac-12 batting average lead and is now hitting .482 this season. She had two RBI, including an RBI double, her seventh two-bagger of the season.
In the circle,
Alyssa Denham went four scoreless innings to pick up her 16th win of the season, allowing just three hits in the process. She struck out two and walked one in the start.
Mariah Lopez pitched the fifth inning and surrendered one run without allowing a hit.
Arizona opened the game with two runs in the bottom of the first inning on Carranco's first homer of the season, a two-run opposite field shot before breaking the game open in the second.
After a couple of singles to open the frame, Meoño doubled with runners on the corners to score one and put two in scoring position for Carranco - who picked up her third RBI of the day with a single to right.
Dejah Mulipola followed with a two-run double before Harper blasted her 12th homer of the season. Palacios made it back-to-back homers with one of her own to left field. With seven runs already in the frame,
Carlie Scupin singled -- her second single of the inning -- to score another and Meoño plated UA's ninth run of the inning with an RBI single to left.
California scored its first and only run of the series in the top of the fifth inning when a leadoff walk, stolen base and productive groundout put a runner at third with one out for Mikayla Coelho, who hit a sac fly to get the Bears on the scoreboard.
The win was Arizona's 30th straight at home, now the third longest home winning streak in school history and longest active in the NCAA. The Wildcats improved to 33-8 (11-5 Pac-12) heading into a challenging final two weeks of the regular season. Arizona travels to Oregon for a four-game series in Eugene before returning home to host UCLA, May 13-15 to close out the regular season. The Ducks and the Bruins were ranked eighth and second, respectively, entering the week.
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