Box Score
Post-Game Quotes
OKLAHOMA CITY--Arizona sophomore Jennie Finch scattered
five hits and hung
on to help lead the Wildcats (59-8) to a narrow 4-2 victory over
top-ranked
and No. 1 seed Washington to remain alive in Women's College
World Series
action.
Washington completed the year at 62-9. Finch walked five
and struck out five.
Washington loaded the bases with two outs in the first
when UA pitcher
Finch (29-2) walked two and gave up a short single to left by
Kim DePaul,
but UW pitcher Jennifer Spediacci grounded into a fielder's
choice to end
the threat.
Arizona put two runners on with one out in the bottom of
the first with a
walk to Nicole Giordano and an infield single by Katie Swan, but
Spediacci
struck out Toni Mascarenas and Lindsey Collins.
Washington scored an unearned run in the third. With one
out, Jenny
Topping doubled down the left field line and after Jaime Clark
walked,
scored when UA third baseman Mascarenas booted a grounder. But
Finch struck
out Spediacci and Melissa Downs to strand two runners.
The Cats came back with an unearned run in the bottom of
the inning when
Finch walked, then scored when UW third baseman Kim DePaul threw
a
force-out attempt at second into right field.
Erin Helgeland led off the UW fourth with a home run to
left to close to
3-2. Arizona moved ahead by two again, 4-2, with an unearned run
in the
bottom of the inning. Giordano and Swan had infield singles,
moved up on a
passed ball, then Giordano scored on Mascarenas' sacrifice fly.
The Cats only managed six hits off Spediacci (34-5), but
earned their
second consecutive victory over the Huskies' ace. Arizona lost
to UW four
times this season, twice in non-conference play, and finished a
half-game
behind the Huskies in the final Pac-10 standings.
Arizona will play Oklahoma in a semifinal game at 2:30
p.m. CDT Sunday.
The Wildcats have to beat the Sooners twice to earn a spot in
Monday's NCAA
championship game.
