The No. 25 Arizona softball team swept New Mexico State University, winning both matchups on Tuesday, April 9, at the NM State Softball Complex in Las Cruces, N.M. The Wildcats (26-12-1) won their first game 17-8 and the second game 11-3.
Game 1:
The first game began with the Aggies starting strong, scoring 2 runs in the first inning. Arizona responded with a run in the second inning, courtesy of Kaiah Altmeyer’s single, which scored Blaise Biringer. The following inning was big for the Wildcats as they scored 5 runs. Sophomore Dakota Kennedy and Altmeyer hit homers, while Allie Skaggs and Biringer contributed RBIs, making the score 6-3 in favor of Arizona.
Miranda Stoddard pitched three innings and allowed 5 runs on six hits to earn the win for Arizona. She is currently 5-7 on the season.
Arizona clinched the win in the fourth inning with 2 more runs and another 4 in the fifth inning, highlighted by Kennedy’s second homer of the game, making the score 12-4. To capitalize on the gap, Arizona scored 5 more runs in the sixth inning, including a homer by Skaggs and a 3-run double by Regan Shockey, bringing the final score to 17-8 in favor of the Wildcats.
Game 2:
With the momentum of the first game, Arizona took home the second win of the day with a final score of 11-3. New Mexico State once again came out swinging in the first inning, scoring 2 runs to capture the early lead. This was immediately followed by a 5-run second inning by the Wildcats, highlighted by a 3-run homer by Kennedy, giving Arizona a 5-2 lead. In the third, Carlie Scupin of Arizona and Jillian Taylor of the Aggies both homered, but the Wildcats still led 6-3.
Arizona’s offense continued to shine, with Shockey, Altmeyer and Olivia DiNardo hitting homers in the subsequent innings. On the defensive side, Tucson native Aissa Silva pitched effectively, allowing only 2 earned runs in four innings.
Ultimately, Arizona’s strong offensive performance and solid pitching led them to the 11-3 victory, leaving New Mexico State winless for the day.
Looking ahead:
Continuing on, the Wildcats will face the University of Oregon at home in Tucson at Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium from Friday, April 12, to Sunday, April 14.
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