When the No. 9 softball team opened up its weekend in the Palm Springs Classic Friday with a loss to San Diego State, it looked to mark the beginning of a recurrence of its unsuccessful opening weekend.
Four wins later – including two over top 10 opponents – the Wildcats (6-4) can return to Tucson with smiles on their faces complemented by the feeling of progress and accomplishment. Arizona ended the tournament yesterday with a 7-4 victory over No. 6 LSU, extending its win streak to a season-high four games.
“”I kind of felt like we were back in the same boat as the previous weekend,”” interim head coach Larry Ray said of his feelings following his team’s 2-1 loss to SDSU. “”We did a lot of uncharacteristical things. We basically gave that game away.””
Ray said he had some harsh words for the team following the loss to the Aztecs – a game wasted even with a solid 13-strikeout performance from ace pitcher Taryne Mowatt (2-3) – and the Wildcats worked diligently to fix the areas in which they were lacking.
Players said the team had a valuable talk that hit close to home, and made up their minds that losing was something they would no longer allow to happen.
Both Ray and senior catcher Callista Balko addressed the team to get them fired up.
“”(Ray) just said that he hoped that we were mad because that is not Arizona softball. We are not a losing team,”” said sophomore Stacie Chambers. “”I think all of us talking to each other and him talking to us made us all look at things a little different,”” Mowatt said.
“”Obviously the first game was a rough beginning to the weekend, but after it we had people say things that were meaningful and hit hard with the girls,”” Mowatt said. “”All of a sudden we could not have had a better beginning to the next game.””
Arizona responded with a 12-0 run-rule rout of No. 10 Baylor later in the afternoon, backed by home runs from four different players – three of Arizona’s first four hitters hit solo shots – and five innings of shutout pitching from freshman pitcher Lindsey Sisk (3-1).
“”Lindsey threw really good this weekend,”” Ray said. “”She went out and got the win against Baylor and she just continues to impress me. Every time out she does good things and she was hitting her spots for the most part.””
The Wildcats won both of their games Saturday, including a 13-inning 4-2 win over Massachusetts and a 4-0 win over Long
Island later in the second game of the day.
Mowatt (3-3) threw all 13 innings in the win over Massachusetts, striking out 16 batters while yielding just one earned run. The Wildcats broke the scoreless tie in the top of the 13th inning when they scored all four of their runs, paced by a three-run double by Victoria Kemp.
Sisk posted her second consecutive shutout over Long Island, allowing just four hits over her seven innings of work.
“”I felt like I did good this weekend. I felt comfortable,”” said Sisk, who allowed no runs or walks in the tournament. “”I wasn’t expecting anything. I was just hoping to go out there and do my best and hopefully that would be good enough to get us some wins, and it did.””
