Citizen Staff Report
ARIZONA WILDCATS SOFTBALL
Citizen Staff Report
The University of Arizona softball team had a rocky start to its season Friday.
The Wildcats lost to Kansas 5-1 and beat UTEP 8-5 at the Kajikawa Classic in Tempe.
The games marked the return of UA coach Mike Candrea, who was away from the team last year to coach the U.S. Olympic squad.
In the opener, Sabino High grad Valerie George, the 2005 Tucson Citizen softball player of the year, held UA to four hits in seven strong innings.
Lindsey Sisk (0-1) took the loss, giving up five earned runs in 6 1/3 innings.
Against UTEP, UA trailed 4-3 after three innings before scoring a pair of runs in the fourth and three in the seventh.
Stacie Chambers drove in the go-ahead run for UA in the fourth, singling in Jenae Leles.
Lini Koria and Chambers both homered for Arizona.
UA drew eight walks off UTEP starter Kelly Curran while pounding out 11 hits.
Lauren Schutzler had three hits, and Koria, Chambers and Brittany Lastrapes each had two for UA.
Sarah Akamine (1-0) got the win, going the distance and allowing five runs.
The Wildcats face Northwestern and Nevada on Saturday.
Wildcats split season-opening doubleheader
UA SOFTBALL
Saturday
vs. Northwestern, 10 a.m. (Farrington Stadium, ASU campus); vs. Nevada, 12:30 p.m. (Farrington Stadium)
Sunday
vs. UC Santa Barbara, 1 p.m. (Tempe Sports Complex)