Arizona second baseman Sam Banister throws out a Marshall runner at first base in the first game of their doubleheader on Wednesday.

james s. wood / arizona daily star

Other articles by Patrick Finley:

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In one moment, the Arizona Wildcats finished off their softball game with aplomb.

In the next, they couldn't.

Arizona defeated Marshall 9-1 in the first half of Wednesday's doubleheader when Stacie Chambers walloped a grand slam in the fourth inning to punctuate the mercy-rule score.

In Game 2, the Wildcats were on the verge of doing the same thing — erupting in the fourth, clinching the win in the fifth — when Taryne Mowatt allowed three runs in the fifth. The Wildcats won the second game 11-5 in seven innings.

"The game seemed like it lasted 12 hours," interim head coach Larry Ray said.

It was the ultimate good problem to have — two days before the start of Pac-10 play, the Wildcats were upset they didn't clinch both by the mercy rule.

"I was a little disappointed we couldn't," Ray said.

Arizona hit four home runs in the second game. Chambers hit a solo shot, and Callista Balko and Jenae Leles each hit three-run homers.

Laine Roth hit her seventh in the past 10 games, bringing the Hillenbrand Stadium crowd of 2,445 to their feet.

Arizona has hit 59 homers in 31 games, and at least one in 16 of the past 17 contests. But they come with a sense of caution.

"Everybody likes to hit home runs, but it's not going to happen every time," said Chambers, who has 10 homers. "It happens by chance. If it's there, it's there. If it's not, it's not."

If the Wildcats (23-8) have a problem this year, it might be at second base.

On March 18, Victoria Kemp was hit in the face by a pitch. She did not break a bone, but is out at least another two weeks, Ray said.

Sam Banister, who started the season at first base, has been rotating to second base with Sarah Akamine.

Akamine made the best defensive play of the night in Game 2, sliding to her right to smother a grounder. But she is also the team's lightest-hitting regular, batting .211.

"Once we face better pitching, Sam usually does pretty well," Ray said.

In Game 1, Mowatt allowed only one run on one hit — a homer by Sahuaro High School and Pima College grad Kelly Nielson in the second inning.

After Game 2 starter Lindsey Sisk gave up two runs in 3 1/2 innings, Mowatt returned and got the win, despite giving up three runs and four walks in 3 1/3 innings.

"We expect a lot out of ourselves, and the coaches expect a lot out of us," Chambers said. "We get disappointed when we do that."

● Virginia Tech pitcher Angela Tincher threw a no-hitter Thursday in Oklahoma City to hand the USA Olympic softball team a 1-0 loss, its first of the exhibition season. Former UA star Jennie Finch took the loss against Tincher, who faced only one batter over the minimum.