The No. 4 Arizona softball team avenged an earlier loss this season, winning two of three games against No. 2 Texas A&M over the weekend.
Arizona (11-3) saw another strong performance from freshman pitcher Sarah Akamine in the rubber match yesterday afternoon, as the Wildcats won 6-2 over the Aggies (13-2).
Akamine (5-0) allowed two runs over six innings and struck out eight before turning it over to Taryne Mowatt in the seventh after getting into a little trouble.
Mowatt came in with two runners on and nobody out and proceeded to strike out all three batters she faced for her second save of the season.
“”Sarah’s come a long way and really did an outstanding job against a very good hitting team,”” said UA head coach Mike Candrea. “”She gave us six really good innings, and then I felt it was time in the seventh to make a change, and I was very impressed with Taryne coming in and striking out the meat of their order.””
“”Sarah’s come a long way and really did an outstanding job against a very good hitting team.””
– Mike Candrea,
UA head coach
UA catcher Callista Balko hit two home runs and had three RBIs to pace the Arizona offense.
Balko said she felt the primary reason for her success at the plate was that she kept her head down, saying she has a tendency to look up as she swings.
Balko hit a solo home run in the third inning and then blasted a two-run shot that cleared the left-field bleachers in the fifth. The round-trippers give Balko a team-best six home runs this season.
“”Balko saw the ball well,”” Candrea said. “”I saw her in batting practice today, and she had two really good rounds, and she carried it right into the ball game.””
On Saturday, the Wildcats saw a late-inning comeback attempt fall just short, losing 4-3.
Mowatt (6-3) was nearly flawless, save for a rocky fourth inning. Two batters reached on walks and another reached on an error to load the bases for Texas A&M third baseman Jamie Hinshaw.
Hinshaw sent a Mowatt offering over the right-field fence to give the Aggies a 4-0 lead.
“”Basically, that inning comes down to a couple walks, an error and one bad pitch,”” Mowatt said. “”I went to the same pitch twice in a row, and it was a good idea, but I just missed my spot, and the result is the grand slam.””
The home run was the first home allowed by Mowatt the Aggies’ Megan Gibson hit a game-winning home run off her in the final game of the Kajikawa Classic Feb. 11 in Tempe.
The Wildcats pulled to within one run on a Chelsie Mesa two-run homer in the bottom of the sixth inning.
Mowatt struck out 13 in Arizona’s 5-0 win Friday and took a no-hitter into Friday’s seventh inning before Aggie left fielder Jami Lobpries singled to lead off the inning.
Mesa had two RBIs in the contest, and Balko wrapped up the Arizona scoring with a solo home run in the sixth inning.
Candrea said the team is starting to figure out what it takes to be successful.
“”It was good, a good victory for us (Sunday) against a very good team,”” Candrea said. “”The more we play good competition, the more they understand where they need to be, and that’s part of the process.””
