ARIZONA DEFEATS CANISIUS, 11-0

Hempstead, NY (May 17) - The top-seeded Arizona Wildcats used three home runs in a four-run third inning to support the pitching of senior Taryne Mowatt (Corona, CA/Corona Santiago) and capture a 11-0 win over Canisius on the opening day of the NCAA Softball Hempstead Regional on Saturday morning at Hofstra Softball Stadium.

Arizona improves its record to 37-16 on the year and moves on to the winner's bracket game at 2:30 p.m. against the winner of the next contest between second-seeded Hofstra (43-11) and third-seeded LIU (34-15). Canisius slips to 38-13 and will face the Hofstra-LIU loser at 5 p.m. in an elimination game.

Arizona made solid contact in the first two innings, but junior third baseman Jenae Leles (Fair Oaks, CA/Rio Americano) lined into a double play to right field to end the first, and sophomore designated player Stacie Chambers (Glendale, AZ/Cactus) flew out to the wall in left-center as Canisius freshman left fielder Lauren Hope (Los Osos, CA/Morro Bay) was able to run it down and make the catch.

Senior catcher Callisto Balko (Tucson, AZ/Tucson) then hit a similar ball into the left-center field gap to lead off the third inning. This time, Hope went back to the wall, but had it tip off her glove and go over the wall for a solo home run, Balko's 13th of the season, making the score 1-0. Freshman center fielder Lauren Schutzler (Monterey, CA/Notre Dame) then hit a single up the middle, and freshman left fielder Brittany Lastrapes (Laguna Niguel, CA/Laguna Hills) homered to right field to stretch the lead to 3-0. Sophomore shortstop K'Lee Arredondo (Tempe, AZ/McClintock) then followed with a solo shot over the center field wall to make the score 4-0.

Arizona then scored seven runs in the fourth, beginning with five straight singles to start the inning to push three runs across. The Wildcats took a 5-0 lead on a Balko RBI single, then senior right fielder Cyndi Duran (Tucson, AZ/Flowing Wells) singled up the middle to score two runs and make the score 7-0. One out later, Arredondo drove home her second run of the game with an RBI single. Leles then hit an RBI double to right field and an error made the score 10-0. Chambers capped off the frame with her second single of the inning to make the score 11-0.

Canisius had a good opportunity in the top of the first as junior center fielder Jenny Maheu (Hollister, CA/San Benito) led off with a double to left-center and moved to third on a wild pitch with nobody out. However, Mowatt was able to pitch her way out of the jam with two strikeouts and an infield pop-up to leave Maheu stranded.

Mowatt improved to 25-12 on the season with the win, allowing only the one leadoff hit to Maheu and striking out nine in four innings of work, while Canisius junior starter Juliette Bowers (Morgan Hill, CA/Live Oak) slipped to 20-2 after taking only her second loss of the season.

Saturday's schedule was revised to four games instead of three after Friday's opening round contests were both rained out.

2008 NCAA Hempstead Regional
(double-elimination format)

Friday, May 16 - Rained Out

Saturday, May 17
Game 1: Arizona 11, Canisius 0 (5 innings)
Game 2: Hofstra (43-11) vs. LIU (34-15), 12 p.m.
Game 3: Arizona (37-16) vs. Game 2 winner, 2:30 p.m.
Game 4: Canisius (38-13) vs. Game 2 loser, 5 p.m.

Sunday, May 18
Game 5: Game 3 loser vs. Game 4 winner, 10 a.m.
Game 6: Game 3 winner vs. Game 5 winner, 12:30 p.m.
Game 7: Same two teams (if necessary), 30 minutes following