As Arizona Softball win streak ends, the Cats still beats Cal

BERKELEY, CA- Traveling to Northern California with a 20-game win streak on the line the Arizona Softball (40-8, 17-1) took on the Cal Golden Bears.

As the weather is heating up in Southern Arizona, the Arizona Softball is action is too, as the Wildcats continued their hot play in Northern California versus the Cal Golden Bears.

Riding a 20-game win streak, things would intensify as the pressure to win increased for the Cats this past weekend.

Arizona Wildcats

Taylor McQuillin would take the mound for the Cats in game one, looking to continue her dominance. Early on it was Arizona taking the 1-0 lead, when Malia Martinez would reached based on an error, that would score an Arizona run.

Cal would get one back in the top of the first, when a home run would tie it at 1-1. However, things would got a little scary for the Cats, when the Golden Bears would score two more runs in the bottom of the second inning, as they jumped out to a 3-1 lead.

Luckily, the Bears’ lead would last long, when a three-home run by Jessie Harper in the top of the third put the Cats back in front for good at 4-3.

Then the Martinez’s (Hanna and Malia) would hit singles that would score back-to-back runs in the third, to eventually pace Arizona to the 6-3 win.

McQuillin would pick-up the win in this one, improving to 18-5 on the year, as she finished the day, pitching seven, solid innings, surrendering just one earned run on nine hits, while striking out nine Bears batters!

Harper would lead the day offensively, finishing 1-4 from the plate with three RBI’s. Her lone hit was of course the huge home run that put the Cats back in front for good!

Game two would be quite the opposite. Turning to Alyssa Denham, Arizona would get into a bit of a defensive stalwart in this one.

Both teams wouldn’t have much of an opportunity to score runs in this one, as Denham and Cal’s pitching would duel back and forth.

Heading to extra innings still tied 0-0, Arizona would need something to get things going. The Wildcats would get close in the ninth, when a walk of Rylee Pierce would eventually put her on third base with two outs.

Unfortunately, that’s as close as Arizona would get to scoring in this one, as Cal put this one away in the following inning after a single that delivered the Bears a 1-0 win, successfully ending Arizona’s winning streak at 21 games.

Now onto game three, with Arizona hoping to pick-up the series win. Turning back to McQuillin, the challenge would be on!

Falling behind early, the Cats would need to get things going in this one as they trailed 1-0 after four innings.

Finally a breakthrough! After some timely hits in the top of the fifth inning, it was Alyssa Palomino who came up big here, as she would double to left-center, bringing in two Arizona runs to give the Cats the 2-1 lead.

The next inning it was Pierce homering against the Golden Bears, as the senior would drive in two runs to make it 4-1 Arizona, eventually pacing them to the 4-1 win!

McQuillin would pick up her 19th win on the year, as she finished the game pitching all seven innings, surrendering seven hits, but giving up just one run. Pierce would finish the day an impressive 2-4 from the plate, with two RBI’s.

With the wins, the Cats would improve to 40-8 (17-1) on the season, and still sit atop the conference with UCLA.

Next Arizona will take on Washington as the Huskies will come to Tucson next weekend!

At Zona Zealots, we’re proud the way the Wildcats battled and even though we’re sad to see the winning streak end, perhaps this is the start of a new winning streak! As always, Bear Down Arizona!