Information from the Arizona media relations department contributed to this report:
The No. 9 Arizona Wildcats (5-1) defeated UC Santa Barbara (2-5) and Long Beach State (2-4) on the first day of the Hillenbrand Invitational on Friday. Here are recaps of both games:
Game 1 – Arizona 11, UC Santa Barbara 1 (6 innings)
The Wildcats hit four home runs – including two by Sharlize Palacios, who drove in a career-high seven runs. Ironwood Ridge grad Izzy Pacho and Tucson High alum Carlie Scupin also homered in the win.
Arizona had 11 runs on 11 hits with 10 RBsI.
Pacho went a career-best 3-for-3 with her homer and a double. Palacios and Janelle Meoño had multi-hit games as well.
Arizona scored four runs in the second inning on a grand slam by Palacios. Scupin it a solo home run and Pacho hit her second double of the season to score Blaise Biringer in the third. Pacho then hit a solo shot in the fourth inning. Palacios hit a walk-off home run in the sixth to end the game.
Devyn Netz (2-0) picked up the win, allowing only one run on three hits from the Gauchos.
Game 2 – Arizona 7, Long Beach State 2
Scupin went 3-for-3 with two home runs and Jasmine Perezchica went 3-for-4.
Arizona had four homers for the second straight game in the doubleheader, led by Scupin. Allie Skaggs, an Ironwood Ridge alum, and Pacho had one apiece.
Scupin hit her first home run of the game – second of the day – in the second inning to give the Wildcatrs an early lead. Palacios hit her first double of the season to score Perezchica and Skaggs hit a home run to score Palacios in the third inning.
Scupin hit a two-run homer, her second home run of the game, followed by a solo shot from Pacho in the fifth to take a 7-2 lead.
Hanah Bowen (3-1) earned the win for Arizona. She pitched six innings and allowed two runs on six hits.
Madi Elish relieved Bowen in the seventh, striking out two of the four batters she faced.
In the second day of the Hillendbrand Invitational on Sunday, Arizona takes on Loyola Marymount at 3 p.m. followed by a game with No. 16 Kentucky at 5 p.m.
Recommended for you
