A Cat Fight in Tight White Pants

College Softball World Series (compiled by azcentral.com)

Taryne Mowatt finished what she started and Arizona won its eighth NCAA softball title, breaking loose against Tennessee ace Monica Abbott for a 5-0 victory Wednesday night in the Women's College World Series.

The top-seeded Wildcats (50-14-1) lost the opener in the best-of-three championship series, then bounced back to win the final two games.

Mowatt (42-12) pitched all 60 innings in the tournament for Arizona and became the first pitcher to win seven games in the event.

It was scoreless in the fifth inning when Arizona scored all five runs. Jenae Leles hit a two-run single and Chelsie Mesa added a three-run homer for the Wildcats (50-14-1). Arizona, which needed help from an error to break Abbott's 43-inning scoreless streak in Game 2, got several key hits against her this time.

Caitlin Lowe, Arizona's speedy leadoff hitter, started the fifth inning by reaching on a slapped grounder back to Abbott (50-5). K'Lee Arredondo followed with a single, and an error by right fielder Nicole Kajitani put runners at second and third.

Abbott then intentionally walked Kristie Fox, who tied the tournament record with 11 hits, to load the bases for Mesa. Mesa's grounder made it through to center field to score the first two runs, and Mesa hit a 3-2 pitch over Kajitani's outstretched arms and the wall.

Mowatt broke the school record for wins in a season set by Alicia Hollowell in 2004.