Easter Sunday featured a doubleheader between Arizona and Iowa State, two games that brought no shortage of excitement.
In a 10-7 offensive explosion, the Wildcats took game one. In game two, a 6-run top of the 7th inning helped Arizona (29-8, 11-3 Big 12) complete the sweep over Iowa State (21-15, 3-8 Big 12).
The first match of the doubleheader had eight home runs between the Wildcats and the Cyclones. The scoring started with a sac fly from Sydney Stewart that brought in Regan Shockey.
Arizona then
built a four run lead after Kez Lucas hit a three run homer that brought in Sereniti Trice and Grace Jenkins.
After the lead was cut in half, Trice tripled to bring in Shockey and then she was brought home by a Tayler Biehl sac fly.
Back to back solo home runs by Tele Jennings and Jenna Sniffen made it a six run lead for the Wildcats. The Cyclones continued to respond and cut that lead to just one run.
Stewart then decided to join the party of homers with a solo of her own. To put the game away in the seventh inning, she doubled to center field and brought Biehl home for insurance.
Jalen Adams only pitched 2.1 innings where she saw seven hits, three home runs, and five runs come off of her pitches. Jenae Berry did allow another home run but then pitched four shutout innings to stymie Iowa State’s hitting. She finished with four strikeouts.
Once again, it was Arizona that started the scoring for game two. After Trice was walked and Biehl reached on an error, Stewart grounded out but brought in Trice to take an early 1-0 lead.
Addison Duke got her first hit of the day in the second inning on a RBI double to bring in Jennings, giving UA a 2-0 lead. Falling behind 7-2, it took five innings for Arizona to find the scoreboard again and it was Duke’s turn to hit a home run.
Her two run homer brought in Kiki Escobar, who was pinch running for Sniffen. It gave life to the Wildcats and brought the game within four. Emma Kavanagh was walked and Trice singled to put two on.
A Biehl double brought in Shockey, who came back in to run for Kavanagh, and was followed by another double from Jenkins that brought two more in to tie the game.
Lucas brought in Molli Daley, who ran for Jenkins, and behind a six run seventh inning Arizona had regained the lead. The Wildcats did not give the lead back and swept the double header to win the series.
After Rylie Holder allowed three runs, Berry came in to try and shut down the Cyclones once again. However, four more runs for Iowa State came through and put the game out of reach for Arizona. Adams pitched three shutout innings and it was enough to give the Wildcats a chance to come back.
Arizona will go for the series sweep Monday at 11 a.m. PT to complete the first leg of its 3-week road trip that will continue with weekends at LSU and then Oklahoma State.
