TUCSONArizona knocked 10 hits, took advantage of a couple of Stanford
errors and hung on to beat the No. 9-ranked Cardinal, 8-4, in Pac-10
softball action Saturday night.
UA pitcher Jennie Finch remained undefeated despite an average
performance, improving her record to 20-0. Stanford touched her for nine
hits and scored two of its runs on her throwing error in the seventh.
Arizona improved to 42-3 overall and stayed unbeaten in Pac-10 play at 6-0.
The Cardinal dropped to 32-9 and 1-6.
Arizona put runs on the scoreboard quickly, crossing the plate four times
in the first. Nicole Giordano and Katie Swan led off with infield singles
and Giordano scored when Toni Mascarenas' grounder was misplayed at third
base. Lauren Bauer walked and moved to third when Lindsey Collins drove in
Swan and Mascarenas with a single, then Bauer and Collins pulled a double
steal for a 4-0 lead.
UA scored two unearned runs in the second on a two-run single by Finch and
added another run in the third on Swan's run-scoring hit. Lindsey Collins'
11th home run of the year, a solo blast in the fourth, ended UA's scoring.
The Cardinal had some early opportunities, with centerfielder Jessica
Mendoza reaching second base twice, after a first-inning single and a
third-inning double, but Finch worked her way out of trouble.
In the fifth, Mendoza doubled with one out after a Katie Wiginton single,
then Sarah Beeson drove Wiginton in with a single and Maureen LeCocq hit a
sacrifice fly to score Mendoza.
Stanford scored two unearned runs in the seventh and had runners at second
and third but Finch rebounded to strike out the last two hitters.
Attendance was 1,650.
Arizona closes weekend play with another Pac-10 game against Stanford, at
1 p.m. Sunday at Hillenbrand Stadium.
