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The Daily Wildcat

The Daily Wildcat

 

Softball overpowers competition and goes a perfect 6-0 over the weekend

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Pearl Dixon

Arizona batter Mo Mercado (11) during the Wildcats’ softball game against the Texas Longhorns on March 5 at Hillenbrand Stadium. The Wildcats completed a three-game sweep of the Longhorns on Sunday. 

While the University of Arizona went on spring break this weekend, the No.6 ranked Wildcats headed to California for six games in the CSUN/LMU Tournament. The Wildcats were rarely challenged during the weekend, outscoring their opposition 58-2 improving their 2017 season record to 24-1.

Over a span of three days the Wildcats smashed 12 homers, freshman Jessie Harper and Dejah Mulipola each hit three. Harper also was the team’s leading hitter for the tournament collecting eight hits, showing the back end of Arizona’s lineup packs as big a punch as the front. The mercy rule was applied in three consecutive games, with Arizona winning those games by a combined score of 36-0.

But beyond the teams outstanding hitting, credit must be given to Arizona’s pitchers who shut down their opponent’s night in and night out. Michelle Floyd, who made her first start of the season, tossed a perfect game against Hartford on Saturday afternoon.

Aces Danielle O’Toole and Taylor McQuillin, had impressive weekends themselves. Both players owned the first and last days of the California based tournament. The pair won every game in which they took the hill, showing why the duo is one of the Pac-12’s best.

O’Toole’s one-hitter against Loyola Marymount, where she struck out five and again kept her ERA under one, was the better of her two starts. While McQuillin also saved her best for last, fanning 12 batters in a dominate perforce versus Bryant, in the Wildcats final game of the tournament.

Up next for Arizona is a meeting of ranked team’s in Long Beach. The Wildcats will take on defending national champion No. 9 Oklahoma on Tuesday morning at 10:00 a.m. and then faces Long Beach State at 12:30 p.m.


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