April 17, 2009
Tucson, Ariz. - The No. 9/11 Arizona Wildcats (34-9, 6-2 Pac-10) ripped three home runs, posted 13 hits and upset No. 2/2 Stanford (36-5, 6-4 Pac-10), 12-4, tonight in Pac-10 play at Hillenbrand Stadium in Tucson, Ariz.
Six players accounted for the 13 Arizona hits, with five of those players recording multiple-hit games. Sophomore Brittany Lastrapes and junior K'Lee Arredondo were both 3-for-4 and combined to drive in five Wildcat runs. Senior Jenae Leles was 2-for-4 with the three-run home run that started the scoring. Sam Banister and Lini Koria had two hits as well.
The Cardinal was led by Alissa Haber, who was 3-for-4 on the night. The junior scored for the 46th time this year, moving herself onto the program's single-season top-10 list. The Cardinal was outhit, 13-8.
Junior Sarah Akamine (15-4) was the winner in the circle for Arizona, allowing two earned runs in six innings of work and recording two strikeouts. Senior Missy Penna took the loss and dropped to 25-4 on the year.
Arizona's first three batters recorded the team's first three hits and scored the game's first three runs. Lastrapes singled up the middle to start the rally and advanced on a bunt single by Arredondo. Leles then drilled Penna's first offering to left field for her 20th home run of the year.
Stanford chipped into the 3-0 lead in the third inning, pulling back within one on a two-RBI single by Maddy Coon. Sarah Hassman walked to lead off the inning and Haber followed with a single up the middle. Ashley Hansen loaded the bases when a Wildcat throw went off target, and with one out, Coon sent a ball down the right line that scored two.
The Wildcats got the runs right back in their half of the third and continued to build, turning a one-run advantage into a five-run advantage. After Lastrapes' second single of the game, Arredondo belted a home run to center field to push Arizona's lead out to 5-2. Leles followed the long ball with a single and advanced to second on a ground out. With two outs, Koria doubled to score Leles, and Kristen Arriola extended the rally with an RBI single to left field to make it 7-2.
The Cardinal pushed its third run across in the fourth inning. Freshman Jenna Becerra hit a shallow pop-up that dropped on a miscommunication by the Arizona defense, and Hassman put a single into right field. Haber loaded the bases with a bunt single and Becerra scored on a ground ball off the bat of Hansen.
In the fifth inning, Rosey Neill crushed an Akamine pitch to center field, lining her ninth home run of the season over the Hillenbrand Stadium wall. The long ball, the 35th of her career, put her in sole possession of third place on the school's career home run chart, putting her just behind two of program's greatest sluggers - Jessica Mendoza and Michelle Smith.
In the sixth inning, two walks put a pair on for Lastrapes, who hit the third Wildcat home run of the game and made it 10-4. Arredondo singled and Stacie Chambers walked to put runners at first and second for Sam Banister. Banister singled and Arredondo was able to score on a throw intended to pick off Chambers at second. After a wild pitch put two runners in scoring position, Koria doubled to send Chambers in and win the game by run rule, 12-4.
Stanford is back on the field tomorrow at Farrington Stadium in Tempe, meeting No. 5/8 Arizona State at 7 p.m.