The No. 13 University of Arizona softball team (36-7, 13-5 Big 12) swept their series play against the University of Kansas (17-20, 4-11 Big 12) in Lawrence, Kansas, in a three-day series from Friday, April 11 to Sunday, April 13. After a hard-fought win in the first game, Arizona landed on top to secure the series sweep with an 11-1 mercy rule victory.
Day one: Arizona 2 – Kansas 0
A low-scoring game landed Arizona its first win in the series against Kansas.
Jenna Sniffen hit a solo home run at the top of the third inning for Arizona’s first of 2 runs in the game. Sniffen would get a hit every time she stepped up to the plate, going 3-for-3 on the day.
The second run came in the fifth inning when a Kaiah Altmeyer RBI single sent pinch runner Zaedi Tagalog home. This would be the final run of the game, as the score was set at 2-0.
Pitching on day one was Miranda Stoddard, who kept the Jayhawks from scoring on the day with three strikeouts.
Stoddard was against Olivia Bruno, who recorded only four strikeouts along with four walks against the Wildcats.
Devyn Netz would then enter the game at the bottom of the seventh and complete a save, striking all three batters faced out.
Day two: Arizona 15 – Kansas 3 (5 innings)
The Wildcats’ offense was blazing from the beginning of the second game of the series, which ended in a run-rule victory 15-3.
The Wildcats exploded in the first inning, scoring 7 runs fueled by early errors from the Jayhawks. Sydney Stewart drove in the first run after being hit by a pitch. Paige Dimler earned a walk to bring in Regan Shockey for the second run. Tayler Biehl and Stoddard added 2 more runs off singles. Dakota Kennedy rounded out the inning by hitting a double to bring home Biehl for Arizona’s seventh run.
Stoddard singled in the second and brought Stewart and Netz home. In the same play, an error by the Jayhawks brought in Dimler for another run to score. Emily Schepp and Altmeyer brought in 2 more runs off RBI singles to give the Wildcats a 15-0 lead.
Kansas managed to push across 3 runs in the bottom of the fourth but couldn’t mount a full comeback.
Netz pitched the first two innings and struck out three batters. Sarah Wright pitched the last 1.1 innings of the game while not allowing a hit or run to score. Wright’s performance on the mound would be enough to secure her first win of the season and her collegiate career.
Day three: Arizona 11 – Kansas 1 (5 innings)
Arizona wrapped up the series in style with an 11-1 mercy rule victory.
The Wildcats came out hot once again, as Stewart opened the scoring with a 2-RBI single. Dimler continued as she swung in a 2-run double. Sniffen ended the inning with an RBI single, driving in Dimler for the fifth run, putting the Wildcats up early 5-0.
Shockey hit an inside-the-park home run, earning her first career home run in the second inning to give Arizona a 6-0 lead.
Kansas hit a single homer at the bottom of the second, but the Wildcats kept the pressure on.
Kennedy responded in the fourth with an RBI single to bring in Tagalog for another run. Netz earned her 14th home run of the season and brought in 3 more runs, earning the Wildcats a 10-1 lead.
Kennedy added 1 more insurance run in the fifth to lock in the series-clinching win.
Netz went 3.0 innings, only allowing 1 run on two hits. Saya Swain pitched the last 2.0 innings and struck out three of the six batters she faced.
Up Next
Arizona will face off against No. 14 Texas Tech University (34-9, 14-1 Big 12) back at home in Hillenbrand Stadium in another series starting on Thursday, April 17, and lasting until Saturday, April 19.
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