UA Wildcats softball
Fowler's perfect game first for UA since 2006
Sits down 15 Oregon St. batters, joins seven other Arizona pitchers
-
Ash Friederich/Tucson SentinelKenzie Fowler, a freshman, has picked up 27 wins this season for the third-ranked Wildcats. Her perfect game, eighth in the history of UA softball, also was her fourth no-hitter of the season.
Only seven times before freshman pitcher Kenzie Fowler's outing this weekend has a University of Arizona softball pitcher pitched a perfect game.
Fowler can add herself to that list after she sat down all 15 batters she faced in No. 3 Arizona’s 8-0 victory over the Oregon St. Beavers on Saturday at Hillenbrand Stadium.
The game was called in the fifth inning to the mercy rule, after Brittany Lastrapes hit her fourteenth homerun of the season - a three run shot with the Wildcats already leading 5-0.
For Fowler, it was her fourth no-hitter of the season. She improved her season pitching record to 27-5 over the weekend. With three more wins, she will tie Becky Lemke, who reached the 30-win plateau in 2000 (30-7) and Debby Day, who reached it in 1991 with a record of 30-8.
The last Wildcat to throw a perfect game was Taryne Mowatt on March 18, 2006 against Cal State Northridge. That game also went five innings with the UA winning 9-0.
Fowler followed up her perfect game on Sunday with four strong innings, giving up only one run, a home run to the Beavers Paige Hall. Arizona also won Friday, 20-1.
Arizona (38-7 overall, 8-4 in Pac-10) gave up only two runs over the weekend and scored 37 against the Beavers (22-24, 2-10).
With the weekend sweep, Arizona took over second in the conference, with Oregon a game behind. The Wildcats were swept at Washington (36-5, 9-3) over a three game series on April 9-11.
After a three game trip to California (34-13, 6-7) this coming weekend, the team will travel to Oregon (31-10, 7-5) for a three game series starting on May 7.
Related stories
- Cats head to Oklahoma for Women's College World Series
- Preview: BYU softball visits Arizona in NCAA Super Regional
- UA softball leaves Cornell seeing red in regional
- Wildcats tapped as hosts for NCAA softball regional
- Fowler exits early; Cats win in walk off
- Fowler named top 10 finalist for Player of the Year award
- Softball pitcher Kenzie Fowler earns 'Player of Week' with work in circle
- Cats softball team takes first two games vs. Stanford
