The University of Arizona softball team lost its three-game series to No. 3 University of Oklahoma over the weekend at Hillenbrand Stadium. Arizona claimed the first game on Friday, Feb. 6 with an 11-6 victory, but the Sooners bounced back to win the next two games, taking Saturday’s matchup 21-3 on Feb. 7 and clinching the series with a 5-4 win on Sunday, Feb. 8.
Game one
Arizona softball staged a late comeback to defeat No. 3 Oklahoma after erupting for 5 runs in the bottom of the sixth inning, capped by a go-ahead grand slam.
Oklahoma jumped out to an early lead, scoring 4 runs in the top of the first on back-to-back home runs from Nelly McEnroe-Marinas and Kasidi Pickering. The Sooners continued to add on with solo home runs in the second inning and pushed their lead to 6-2 by the fourth.
Arizona kept pace early, answering with runs in the first and second innings, including an RBI groundout from Grace Jenkins and a run scored on a passed ball. Jenkins added a 2-run homer in the fifth to bring the Wildcats within one and keep the game within reach.
Trailing entering the sixth, Arizona finally broke through. After loading the bases, Sydney Stewart and Jenkins each drew RBI walks to tie the game. Moments later, Tayler Biehl launched a grand slam to center field, giving Arizona its first lead of the game and igniting the home crowd.
Jenkins finished with 4 RBIs, while Biehl drove in four runs on the home run. Regan Shockey scored three times as part of Arizona’s offensive push and Sereniti Trice added an RBI single earlier in the game.
Arizona held Oklahoma scoreless in the seventh to secure the comeback win. The Wildcats showed resilience throughout the game, responding to early deficits and capitalizing when it mattered most. The two teams will meet again Saturday, Feb. 7 at 5 p.m. as the series continues on until Sunday.
Game two
Arizona softball dropped game two of its series against No. 3 Oklahoma, falling 21-3 on Saturday at Hillenbrand Stadium as the Sooners’ offense dominated from the start.
Oklahoma took control early, scoring 5 runs in the first inning and continuing to pile on throughout the game. The Sooners finished with 21 runs on 21 hits, including 7 home runs, turning the matchup into a rout.
Arizona struggled to contain Oklahoma’s lineup in the circle. Starter Sarah Wright took the loss after allowing 13 runs in two innings, while Jenae Berry and Jalen Adams also appeared in relief.
Offensively, Arizona was held scoreless through the first four innings before breaking through in the fifth. The Wildcats scored 3 runs in the inning, with RBIs from Stewart, Jenkins and Biehl accounting for Arizona’s lone scoring of the game. Shockey led the Wildcats with two hits and a run scored, while Trice added a hit as well.
Oklahoma responded immediately with 5 runs in the top of the fifth to put the game out of reach and secure the run-rule victory. Arizona will look to regroup as the series continues, aiming to bounce back after a challenging matchup against one of the top teams in the country.
Game three
Arizona softball came up just short in the series finale, falling 5-4 against No. 3 Oklahoma on Sunday, Feb. 8, at Hillenbrand Stadium.
The Wildcats struck early, scoring four runs in the bottom of the second inning to take a brief lead. Addison Duke opened the scoring by drawing an RBI walk and Stewart followed with a bases clearing triple down the right field line to give Arizona a 4-1 lead.
Oklahoma slowly chipped away at the deficit. The Sooners answered with an RBI groundout in the fourth inning before tying the game in the fifth on a solo homer from Gabbie Garcia. Oklahoma then pulled ahead in the seventh, using back-to-back solo home runs from Kendall Wells and Garcia to take the lead for good.
Adams went the distance for Arizona, allowing 5 runs on eight hits. She struck out one and worked through traffic for much of the game, keeping the Wildcats within reach until the final inning.
Stewart led Arizona with 3 RBIs, while Trice and Kiki Escobar each added hits. Shockey and Molli Daley both scored during Arizona’s four-run second inning. Arizona was unable to answer in the bottom of the seventh, stranding the tying run as Oklahoma closed out the 1 run win.
The Wildcats showed resilience throughout the series, pushing the Sooners in two of the three games, but ultimately dropped the finale by a narrow margin. Arizona will return to Hillenbrand Stadium on Thursday Feb. 12 to host Drake University at 5 p.m.
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