The No. 19 Arizona Wildcats can control their own destiny as far as seeding for the Big 12 Tournament if they take care of business in Salt Lake City. They just need to sweep the series at Utah. That means the first game is vital to set the tone.
Arizona set that tone with a 6-1 win. It was the first regulation-length game the Wildcats have played since they were at Oklahoma State two weeks ago.
The Utes seemed to struggle mentally as much as physically. They missed routine plays, like a throw back
to the pitcher after a single. That allowed Arizona leadoff hitter Regan Shockey to motor to second base in the third inning. A wild pitch two batters later allowed her to score and Sereniti Trice to go first to third. Tele Jennings got her second sacrifice fly of the game as a result.
In the fourth inning, Utah’s right fielder Hailee White tried to catch Grace Jenkins as she headed for a triple. The ball went into the Utes’ dugout, and Jenkins was awarded home as a result. The triple was Arizona’s only extra-base hit of the game.
Yet another throwing error in the fifth opened the door for Shockey to score from second. Utah committed five errors in total.
In the other dugout, Arizona not only took advantage of those opportunities but also repeatedly rose to the occasion when Utah tried to get something going.
The biggest blow came in the bottom of the sixth. After getting turned away again and again, it finally looked like Utah was going to get a run on the board. Ute freshman Cian Noli, a native of Chandler, Ariz., gave one a ride to centerfield. Shockey took off running to the wall. The ball was well hit and was sure to go out, but Shockey reached up and hauled it back in to end the inning.
Shockey was also strong on offense, as she has been since leaving Oklahoma State two weeks ago. She went 0-for-4 in her final game in Stillwater, but was 9-for-9 against Houston last week. Utah did not retire her until the top of the seventh when she grounded out to shortstop.
That was one of very few highlights for the Utes, who regularly found themselves frustrated by starting pitcher Jalen Adams when it looked like they were on the verge of breaking through. It started from the first pitch.
Utah quickly put runners on the corners with no outs in their first turn at the plate. Adams responded by inducing a lineout to shortstop Tayler Biehl, a popup to third baseman Jenna Sniffen, and a strikeout by Utah right fielder Payton Crank.
The leadoff reached again in the second. This time it was a walk. Arizona’s 41st double play of the year ended that threat.
A double and a walk put two on with one out in the fourth. Just like the first, Adams stranded the runners, using a strikeout to end the inning.
The strikeouts were key for Adams. She set a season high with five. They were part of a complete game that saw Arizona’s ace give up one earned run on six hits and four walks.
The earned run didn’t come easily. The Utes left nine runners on base. They finally pushed a single run across in the bottom of the seventh.
Adams gave up a leadoff single in the final half-inning, but she sat down the next two batters on a groundout and a strikeout. A bloop single to shallow right followed. Then, Adams walked two in a row to force in a run. The shutout was over, but the win was still close at hand.
Adams went to another full count against a Utah hitter before inducing another flyout. Perhaps fittingly, it went to Shockey.
The Wildcats scored their six runs on seven hits, one walk, and the handful of Utah errors.
Adams improved to 20-7 on the season to become the fourth Big 12 pitcher with at least 20 wins. She joined Oklahoma State’s Ruby Meylan, and Kaitlyn Terry and NiJaree Canady of Texas Tech. She dropped her ERA to 3.22, the lowest it has been since it hit 3.15 on Mar. 29. She has lowered her ERA in each of her last four appearances.
Shockey led the team on offense. She went 2-for-3 with a walk and scored three runs.
Only three of the Wildcats’ six runs were the results of RBI. Tele Jennings got two with a pair of sac flies. Sydney Stewart got the other one on a 2-for-4 evening.
