The second UTEP batter in the second game of the Arizona Wildcats' home doubleheader chopped a ball to third baseman Brigette Del Ponte.
Staring into the setting sun on the bounce, the UA freshman watched as the ball whizzed past her face and into left field for a single. Del Ponte, shortstop K'Lee Arredondo and left fielder Brittany Lastrapes called timeout, then walked to the dugout to retrieve sunglasses.
It was that kind of day for the Wildcats - even a lucky hit by UTEP seemed, well, wrong.
The No. 2 Wildcats (32-4) recorded mercy-rule wins in both games, topping UTEP 8-0 and 10-0 on Wednesday night.
The Miners totaled just four hits in the second game.
Kenzie Fowler threw her third career no-hitter in the first game, allowing one batted ball to reach the outfield. Fowler and Lastrapes were named to the list of 25 finalists for the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year award earlier in the day.
Fowler loaded the bases in the first inning on an error and two hit batsmen. But she escaped.
"If there's one strength I think you find with her, it's her composure on the mound," coach Mike Candrea said of Fowler, who struck out nine. "It takes a lot to get her rattled. I haven't seen her get rattled yet this year."
Lastrapes said that "when the bases got loaded, I don't think (Fowler) was worried. I wasn't worried. I was like, 'They're not going to score. Come on.'"
In Game 2, 18 Wildcats came to bat in the first two innings. Eight of the first 10 scored.
Stacie Chambers singled in one with the bases loaded and none out in the first inning, and Del Ponte followed with another RBI single. After a Kristen Arriola groundout scored Arredondo, catcher Lini Koria launched a home run over the section of the left field bleachers furthest from home plate.
The homer, surely among the longest this season, scored three.
Three batters later, Lastrapes hit a home run over the left field fence to give the UA an 8-0 lead. The next inning, Del Ponte's homer added two more runs.
On the day, four Wildcats - Del Ponte, Lastrapes, Arriola and Koria - hit homers. Del Ponte had one in each game to bring her season total to 15, but Koria and Arriola provided some bottom-of-the-order pop.
"I definitely think it's important to get some of the girls that aren't necessarily rolling right now, going," Arredondo said. "That's why I think these games are really important."
UA pitcher Sarah Akamine, who was called for nine illegal pitches over the past two games, threw a five-inning shutout without a single umpire incident in Game 2.
"Overall, it beats practicing," Candrea said. "So at least we got some at-bats and now we'll move on - and get our warm clothes - and get ready to go."
Wednesday marked likely the last time all year the Wildcats could revel in such walk-overs. Starting Friday, the UA plays a three-game series at No. 1 Washington.
Danielle Lawrie, who pitched the Huskies to the Women's College World Series title last season, awaits.
Because of that, the UA seemed hesitant to extrapolate anything from whipping the 26-14 Miners.
"It's not really momentum," Del Ponte said. "Because it wasn't the type of pitching that we're gonna be seeing this upcoming weekend.
"It makes us happy. But we're still antsy about going up against Danielle Lawrie."
Fowler (21-2) said she was already "nervous" about the No. 1 vs. No. 2 matchup.
"It's going to be a game with a lot of people watching," she said. "So that's going to be exciting.
"How cool for sports, and for women's sports, and for softball, to have this kind of hype in the game? I'm just honored to be in it."
Up next
• What: Arizona at Washington
• When: 6 p.m., Friday
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