Arizona softball had another 2-0 fall doubleheader, as was expected. Both Central Arizona and Phoenix College had moments of success against the Wildcats, but neither of the junior college programs could hang for long. Arizona defeated CAC 15-0 in six innings and PC 19-1 in five.
Both games were played under modified rules. Arizona’s offensive innings were over when the other team got three outs or the Wildcats scored five runs, whichever came first. If a sixth run came across in the same at-bat as
the fifth, it was also counted.
Central Arizona provided the strongest competition for Arizona. They held the Wildcats to fewer than five runs each of the first three innings, including throwing up a zero in the third. Arizona finally broke it open in the fourth and fifth innings, then didn’t take its at-bats in the bottom of the sixth.
Each of Arizona’s pitchers saw time in the circle. Sophomore Sarah Wright started the first game. She went 3.0 innings without giving up a run. She surrendered one hit and struck out two without walking anyone.
Wright got through the first inning with the help of some flashy defense by middle infielders Tayler Biehl and Sereniti Trice. Biehl ranged behind the circle to snag a bouncer from the leadoff. She threw in one motion to gun down the runner.
Not to be outdone, Trice dove for what looked like a possible single to right field. She stopped the ball, then threw from a nearly prone position to first baseman Sina Talataina to get the second out.
Utility players Grace Jenkins and Emma Kavanagh once again showed that they could be a powerful one-two punch this year. When Sydney Stewart is added to that, the trio could put a lot of home runs on the board.
In the first game, Stewart caught, Jenkins played right field, and Kavanagh was the designated player. The group was shuffled in the second outing with Jenkins moving behind the plate, Kavanagh moving to right field, and Stewart taking over as the DP.
Jenkins played the outfield as her secondary position during high school and travel ball. Kavanagh worked on the position this summer in Northwoods League Softball. Both acquitted themselves well on the defensive side.
The offensive side was where they really showed their talents, though. In the first inning, Jenkins came up with one on and two out. She hit the 2-1 pitch high and long over the batter’s eye and into the parking lot behind centerfield to give Arizona a 2-0 lead. Kavanagh came up next and went back-to-back, putting the Wildcats up 3-0.
It was the second home run of the fall for both players. Jenkins hit a grand slam last week against Benedictine University – Mesa. Kavanagh knocked one out of the park in the Red-Blue scrimmage that started the fall practice season on Oct. 10.
After a 1-2-3 inning from Wright that included her first strikeout, Arizona went back to work on offense. Left fielder Addison Duke got on with a single then stole second. Another single by Regan Shockey put runners on the corners for Trice.
Trice used a power slap to pop the ball far enough for a sacrifice fly. It was Arizona’s only run of the frame.
The third was another 1-2-3 inning with a strikeout for Wright. It was also the most successful inning for the Vaqueros’ pitching and defense. A leadoff walk by Stewart and a two-out single by Talataina gave the Wildcats some baserunners, but they couldn’t do anything with them. It was the only inning in either game where Arizona was held scoreless.
Freshman Rylie Holder came in for the fourth inning and pitched the final three frames. She gave up a single and a double in her 3.0 IP, but she didn’t surrender any runs.
The single came with two outs in the top of the fourth. Holder induced a 5-3 groundout to end the inning.
A leadoff double in the fifth was a bigger problem, but the young pitcher didn’t panic and her defense picked her up. The runner moved to third on a groundout to the right side.
The next out was also due to the heady defense of Trice at second base. The Vaqueros’ eight hitter hit a grounder between first and second. Trice fielded it and began to charge towards home, where the runner from third base was headed. Meanwhile, she looked at first to see if she needed to go there. She threw the ball home as she got even with the pitching circle and Stewart easily applied the tag. A 5-4 groundout ended the inning without allowing a run to score.
Things started to unravel for the visiting team in the bottom of the fourth. They got the leadoff out when Jenna Sniffen flew out to right field. Then, the defense started to let the Vaqueros down. Two singles were bookended by two errors, allowing two runs to come across.
That brought up Jenkins again. She did exactly what she did in the first inning when she had runners on base. Her second home run of the game and third of the fall season put three more runs on the board, ending the inning when Arizona reached five runs. The lead was up to 9-0.
The Wildcats again opened the floodgates in the bottom of fifth. A single and two walks loaded the bases for Sniffen. She hit a hard grounder the hugged the inside of the third base line. The single brought both runs around to score. When the inning came to a close with five runs scored, Arizona led 15-0. That score held up as Holder sat down the opponents in order in the top of the sixth.
Senior pitcher Jalen Adams got the start in Arizona’s second game, giving up the first run of the season in the opening inning against Phoenix College. She quickly settled down, and Arizona’s offense responded.
The Wildcats scored in every inning. They scored at least five runs in all but one inning. They scored four in that inning.
After giving up the run in the first inning, Adams returned in the second with her team leading 4-1. She struck out the side. She thumped strikes into Jenkins glove until the last pitch. That was a wicked offspeed that froze the Phoenix College batter.
The bottom of the second was an adventure for the Bears. Kiki Escobar reached on a single, bringing up Shockey.
Shockey laid down a perfect bunt. The Bears had no chance of throwing her out, but the pitcher spun and threw the ball to first. No one was within 10 feet of first base, and the ball quickly ended up in the right field corner while the defenders gave chase.
Meanwhile, Escobar was scoring and Shockey was flying around the bases. Third base coach Lauren Lappin waved her in. She scored easily, putting two more runs on the board for the Wildcats.
Trice was up next. She hit the third straight single, then stole second during Stewart’s at-bat. Once again, the Bears threw the ball away. Trice ended up on third. Stewart’s single brought her home.
Arizona used a single, a walk, and a fielder’s choice to score another run, but Phoenix College got three outs for the first and only time all game. The Wildcats went back into the dugout with only four runs scored, but they led 9-1.
Adams had one more strikeout to start the third. A popup and a 4-3 groundout gave her another 1-2-3 inning.
Shockey had an RBI triple in the bottom of the inning, and Trice followed with another sacrifice fly. An error and a double put two on for Kavanagh, who hit her second home run of the evening to give Arizona its five runs to end the inning. The Wildcats led 14-1.
Sophomore Jenae Berry entered the circle in the top of the fourth. She started with a strikeout in the 1-2-3 inning.
Arizona used four walks and two hits to score five more runs in the bottom of the fourth. Berry returned to the circle in the top of the next inning. She put two on with two outs, but an infield popup put an end to the threat. With the 19-1 lead, the Wildcats did not go back out to bat in the bottom of the fifth.
Arizona’s next fall game is against Grand Canyon in Phoenix on Nov. 1. It will be followed by a final game at Hillenbrand against Pima on Friday, Nov. 7.
