Stanford Softball Squad Loses To Arizona, 8-4

April 8, 2000

Box Score

TUCSON -- Arizona knocked 10 hits, took advantage of a couple of Stanforderrors and hung on to beat the No. 9-ranked Cardinal, 8-4, in Pac-10softball action Saturday night.

UA pitcher Jennie Finch remained undefeated despite an averageperformance, improving her record to 20-0. Stanford touched her for ninehits and scored two of its runs on her throwing error in the seventh.Arizona improved to 42-3 overall and stayed unbeaten in Pac-10 play at 6-0.The Cardinal dropped to 32-9 and 1-6.

Arizona put runs on the scoreboard quickly, crossing the plate four timesin the first. Nicole Giordano and Katie Swan led off with infield singlesand Giordano scored when Toni Mascarenas' grounder was misplayed at thirdbase. Lauren Bauer walked and moved to third when Lindsey Collins drove inSwan and Mascarenas with a single, then Bauer and Collins pulled a doublesteal for a 4-0 lead.

UA scored two unearned runs in the second on a two-run single by Finch andadded another run in the third on Swan's run-scoring hit. Lindsey Collins'11th home run of the year, a solo blast in the fourth, ended UA's scoring.

The Cardinal had some early opportunities, with centerfielder JessicaMendoza reaching second base twice, after a first-inning single and athird-inning double, but Finch worked her way out of trouble.

In the fifth, Mendoza doubled with one out after a Katie Wiginton single,then Sarah Beeson drove Wiginton in with a single and Maureen LeCocq hit asacrifice fly to score Mendoza.

Stanford scored two unearned runs in the seventh and had runners at secondand third but Finch rebounded to strike out the last two hitters.

Attendance was 1,650.

Arizona closes weekend play with another Pac-10 game against Stanford, at1 p.m. Sunday at Hillenbrand Stadium.