For the second game in a row No. 6 Arizona found itself in a nearly identical position as Friday night with the tying run on base in the bottom of the seventh inning and one if its best hitters at the plate. Jessie Harper fouled out stranding Hannah Martinez and Carly Campbell on base to end the game leaving the Wildcats in an unfamiliar position with their first consecutive losses in Pac-12 play.

No. 3 Washington broke a 1-1 tie in the top of the fifth when Sami Reynolds singled up the middle bringing home two Huskies and that is all it would take to hang the Wildcats their conference series loss of the season, 3-1.

Arizona head coach Mike Candrea said after the game that his team needs to find a way to embrace the big moments when they are put in a position to make game-changing plays. His message to the players after Saturday’s game was simply to relax and have confidence when they get those opportunities. “To beat good teams you have to be able to handle those moments,” he said. “…I just feel like right now there’s times when the game got quick on us.

“Right now we’re missing one hit, one pitch, one play and it’s just against good teams and good pitching, you can’t do it."

Rylee Pierce bounced back with a home run off the batter’s eye in the second after an unfortunate play during the first inning when she fielded a ground ball and was unable to get back to first base to make the out allowing Reynolds to score from second.

“I didn’t feel unprepared I just didn’t make the play how I should, Pierce said. “I didn’t take the at bat really any different. I just wanted to have a good at bat and do what I can for my team.”

Pierce has now hit seven home runs this season.

Saturday’s starting pitcher Alyssa Denham had three runs on five hits and walked three batters giving the junior pitcher her fourth loss of the season. After the two-run fifth inning the Wildcats put Gina Snyder in at pitcher ending Denham’s day in the circle.

“I thought Denham did a good job,” Candrea said. “I thought she was kind of getting behind walking hitters and just wanted a different look. They were just starting to get on her a little bit, but I thought she did a good job and gave us an opportunity.”

When the Wildcats let their emotions get the best of them its speeds up the game and Candrea said to be successful you have to slow down the game and in order to do that you have to be in control of your emotions, self talk and your confidence.

“We’ve kind of seen a little bit of a downfall this weekend and it’s something we are going to have to fix and we are going to have to work on, because that’s going to be a big key for us moving forward,” Candrea said.

“It’s not how many. It’s being able to fight every at bat, be able to put the ball in play and make the defense do some things and then hopefully you find an opening and drive in a run at the right time.”

The final game of the series continues Sunday at 12:00 p.m. as Arizona hopes to end their two-game losing streak.

Second baseman Reyna Carranco is believed to have suffered a broken hand and thumb in her first at bat when she struck out to end the first inning. Hannah Bowen went in to replace Carranco at second base for the rest of the game.

“As of right not it’s a broken hand and a broken thumb… it’s tough to lose your leading hitter at a moment like this,” Candrea said. “It stings me a little bit but you know what you have to move on and we have to continue to play so that’s why these kids all prepare each and every day cause you never know when your time is going to be called.”