TEMPE – The stars seemed to be in alignment for an Arizona softball victory Saturday.

The Wildcats had finally hit the previously unhittable Katie Burkhart and scored three runs in the top of the first inning – equaling the most runs ASU’s ace had allowed in any game this year.

Arizona had four hits only six batters into the game, equaling its total hits through seven innings Friday, but it couldn’t get the job done. The Wildcats lost 9-8, making it the first time since 1988 that ASU swept Arizona.

“”That’s a really hard loss to take especially since how much we continued to battle every inning, but (ASU is) a good team and you’ve gotta give credit to their hitting,”” said senior catcher Callista Balko. “”With a team like that, that can happen. They are a team of scrappers, too, and that game was pretty even the whole time. There’s not much to say about it.””

Taryne Mowatt (17-10) – who struggled the first time she faced ASU this season, losing 8-1 at Hillenbrand Stadium – didn’t fare much better Saturday. She allowed two singles on her first three pitches and a walk to the third batter on four pitches. She got to a three-ball count to Lesley Rogers before getting her to pop up to second and threw another three balls to Mindy Cowles before she singled in a run. She also threw a wild pitch, allowing another run to score.

In all, Mowatt reached a three-ball count nine times, including an intentional walk to Krista Donnenwirth in the seventh, and walked four en route to her second straight loss to ASU and 10th overall as her ERA spiked to 2.14.

For the 2007 Women’s College World Series’ Most Outstanding Player and multiple ESPY Award winner, her teammates and coaches have shrugged off questions about her health and psyche.

“”I think Taryne (will be) fine,”” Balko said. “”She just has to think of last year and remember how good a player she really is and you know we continue losing and we’re a team that is not used to losing and it’s kind of hard to deal with. You don’t want to accept it when you play this hard, but you kind of have to accept it. And everyone hates to lose, but Taryne is keeping her head on straight and this weekend is a new weekend.””

Balko, who caught every one of Mowatt’s pitches in the WCWS last year, would know if something was mechanically wrong with the ace but she said Mowatt hit her spots consistently this past weekend and sometimes the hitters need to be given some credit.

Mowatt, who has struggled this year – even by her own admission – knew she might have cost her team the victory.

“”We should have won that game,”” she said. “”I should have closed (ASU) off in the seventh inning. The hitters did more than they needed to do and I should never have to asked for eight runs to win a game. I let them down.””

Mowatt also wishes that she could have faced Donnenwirth, rather than given her a free pass.

“”I went in there wanting to pitch to her,”” she said. “”I mean, how often is it that someone hits three home runs in a game, and even if she did, we’re still winning and I (had) taken care of the other batters fairly well … if I could go back I would not have intentionally walked her.

“”I don’t like to act scared and pitch around hitters,”” Mowatt added. “”I like to go at hitters and if you happen to beat me and get a hit, then hats off to you. (Intentional walks) gives the batter an edge because they think I’m scared of them when I want them to be scared of me.””

Mowatt’s

teammates know she will find her form and they will continue to support their ace.

“”Taryne always seems to find her way of pitching,”” said shortstop K’Lee Arredondo. “”But she has some rough games, she has some good games, but no matter what, she’s always there for us and we’re always gonna be there for her, no matter what.””

When asked what the team needed to do to rebound from this defeat, Arredondo gave a potentially starling response, especially after questions of the team’s relationships with each other came to light last week.

“”I think a lot of people need to do some soul searching for the rest of this week and figure out what they need to do to get ready for the game and pretty much be prepared,”” she said. “”I mean, some people didn’t come to the game prepared (Saturday).””

Mowatt believes that after the bitter loses in Tempe, the team will rebound – and that starts this upcoming weekend against the Oregon schools.

“”I think we will get back up the horse,”” she said. “”I mean, we are tired of feeling sorry for ourselves. It’s nobody’s fault but ourselves and we need to do a better job. And when I say we, I mean I need to do a better job.

“”But just as a team, they are there to pick me up when I don’t do well and I am here to pick them up,”” Mowatt added. “”We need to sweep this weekend, there is no question; if we sweep this weekend we will still be a contender.””