Wild game
Hawaii coach Bob Coolen watched most of his team's 9-7 loss to North Dakota State from the elevated concrete steps that led to the Ina A. Gittings Building beyond the right field wall.
He was ejected after arguing a controversial call in the second inning when North Dakota State's Brandi Enriquez collided with UH second baseman Dara Pagaduan on a ground ball.
Enriquez was eventually tagged out, but not before a runner scored from second.
UH thought umpires should have called interference, which would have meant a dead ball out and no run.
The Bison victory was a strange one.
Each team scored in its halves of the second, third, fourth and fifth.
"A lot of weird calls," UH catcher Kayla Wartner said. "A lot of weird situations that happened."
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Balky back
Shelby Pendley is hurting.
The Arizona Wildcats' all-everything shortstop has been battling a sore lower back.
She wears a right knee brace after tearing ligaments last summer, needing surgery. She had a stress fracture in her other leg from trying to overcompensate.
"She's in a lot of pain," UA coach Mike Candrea said. "Most kids probably couldn't do what she's doing right now."
She aggravated her back in the third inning, after throwing wide of first on a Jenna Simon single.
Candrea and a trainer visited her, but she stayed in the game. Candrea said her lower back "tightened up" after the throw.
"We're just trying to keep her together," Candrea said. "We're just packing her in ice."
On baseball
After Shelby Babcock pitched a perfect seventh inning in relief, her coach paid her a compliment.
"I told Babcock that she reminded me of Goose Gossage," Candrea said. "She came in and just really threw lots of strikes and went right at 'em."
He couldn't have used someone more recent?
"Mariano Rivera," Candrea said. "But he's hurt."
Orange
Many members of Notre Dame's team still wear orange shoelaces.
The team wore orange - the color of leukemia awareness - for a good cause earlier this year. The Fighting Irish hosted Strike Out Cancer Weekend in April, playing a game in orange jerseys and laces.
Coach Deanna Gumpf's 6-year-old daughter, Tatum, was diagnosed with pediatric leukemia in 2010.
"My daughter is battling leukemia," Gumpf said. "We do a fundraiser once a year for the hospital where she gets treatment."
The Irish raffled off items and raised more than $25,000 for Memorial Hospital Pediatric Hematology/Oncology Clinic, where Tatum receives weekly treatment.
The big number
1.000
UA left fielder Karissa Buchanan's perfect defensive rating this season before she dropped Simon's fly ball in the fifth.
Quotable
"Today's (Saturday's) game is damn important. It's hard when you have to play another game tonight and beat someone twice. On the other hand, by no means are we taking a breath of fresh air thinking that we're done."
- Candrea
Another big number
77-6
Arizona's record in regional play.
Rasslin'
When the Fighting Irish play near her hometown of Treasure Island, Fla., Chloe Saganowich has the sport's most colorful fan base.
Her father, Jerry, was one half of the Nasty Boys, a then-WWF tag team duo. He has brought other wrestlers - including Hulk Hogan and "Macho Man" Randy Savage - to her games.
Patrick Finley
Sub!
ESPNU play-by-play announcer Pam Ward's voice was raspy Friday, so the network decided to send in reinforcements, just in case.
Good thing, too. After the Arizona Wildcats' win against Notre Dame in the first of three Saturday games, Ward was replaced by Trey Bender.
He called the next two games.
Ward hopes to return today.
