Taylor McQuillin throws shutout as Arizona blanks No. 23 Minnesota

It is the Wildcats’ third win over a ranked team

Jessie Harper continued her torrid power streak and Taylor McQuillin tossed a two-hit shutout as the Arizona Wildcats blanked No. 23 Minnesota 2-0 in the first game of Saturday’s doubleheader.

It is Arizona’s third win over a ranked team this season.

Harper, who leads the Pac-12 with 10 homers, smacked the first pitch she saw over the right field fence to give Arizona an early two-run lead in the first.

While the junior’s homer accounted for the game’s only runs, both teams had prime opportunities to score, but came up empty-handed.

The 12th-ranked Wildcats put runners on the corners with nobody out in the second inning, but three straight pop outs left them stranded.

Arizona then loaded the bases with one out in the sixth, but Rylee Pierce fanned before Izzy Pacho grounded out in a pinch-hit appearance.

Minnesota stranded a runner at third in both the first and fifth innings, wasting Katelyn Kemetmueller’s leadoff triple in the fifth.

McQuillin (5-4, 1.05) struck out 10 Gophers in her fourth shutout of the season.

Third baseman Malia Martinez made some key defensive plays for the Wildcats, including gunning down Kemetmueller at home in the fifth after snaring a hard grounder.

Tamara Statman continued her hot hitting, going 1 for 2 with a walk in the DP spot. The senior has eight hits in 21 at-bats this season.

Arizona (13-5) will face Kent State in the second game of Saturday’s doubleheader.

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