SEATTLE-The top-ranked Huskies completed a shutout of their home-opening weekend, blanking No. 2 Arizona for the second time in two days, 7-0, on Sunday behind Jennifer Spediacci's 12 strikeouts and three-run homer in front of 1,679 fans. Also shutting out ASU on Friday, Washington improves to 46-4 and 8-1 with sole possession of first place in the Pac-10 standings. Arizona falls to 44-6 and 7-3. UCLA, which comes to town next weekend, is in second with records of 32-7 and 7-2.

The game was wild from the first inning, when the Huskies scored two runs, got one hit and stole four bases. Senior Rosie Leutzinger struck out but reached first on a wild pitch to lead off the frame. Junior Kelly Hauxhurst singled before a fielder's choice put Hauxhurst out, Leutzinger on third and freshman Jaime Clark on first, who immediately stole second. Redshirt freshman Jenny Topping hit a fielder's choice, as Arizona tried unsuccessfully to throw Leutzinger out at the plate. UA's coach Mike Candrea charged the plate to dispute the call, but meanwhile, Topping scampered to second in the confusion. When Arizona catcher Lindsey Collins threw to second in an attempt to put Topping out, Clark stole home and slid under the throw back from second for a replay of UW's first run. Topping then stole third, and Candrea was ejected from the game for disputing both calls at the plate.

Senior Melissa Downs homered in the second inning for the third time this year, and UW got three more runs in the third. Hauxhurst and Topping singled before Spediacci's fifth ball of the season cleared the outfield fence, this one at dead center.

Leutzinger and Hauxhurst, who was 3-for-3 on the day, posted back-to-back doubles for the seventh Husky run in the fourth, but Arizona pitcher Becky Lemke (23-5) retired the side the final two frames with the help of a double play in the sixth.

It was Spediacci 12th shutout of the season, as she ties that school record. Improving to 25-1, she also is approaching her own school mark in strikeouts, her 224 just 27 away from breaking it.

Apr. 16, 2000
No. 1 Washington 7, No. 2 Arizona 0
Arizona         000 000 0       0 4 0
Washington      213 100 x       7 8 0
Becky Lemke and Lindsey Collins; Jennifer Spediacci and Jenny
Topping. WP-Spediacci (25-1). LP-Lemke (23-5). LOB-UA 5, UW
2. 2B-UA: Swan; UW: Leutzinger, Hauxhurst. HR-UW: Spediacci, Downs.