No. 3 Oklahoma started hot for the second straight day. This time, it didn’t cool down. The Sooners used a xx-run fourth inning to run-rule No. 17 Arizona in five innings by the score of 21-3.
“I think collectively, just all around, a tough performance,” said Arizona head coach Caitlin Lowe. “I think defensively, offensively, all of it, I think we have to wipe it and get back to work and learn from this, but just be better tomorrow.”
Arizona’s pitching was concerning. Senior Jalen Adams had pitched
two days in a row. Lowe and her staff did not want to use their ace for a third straight day, especially with the prospect of another game against the Sooners on Sunday. They eventually had no choice, though.
The Wildcats have not used freshman righthander Rylie Holder in their first four games. The pitching struggles and decision to use Adams for the third straight day had Arizona fans and media wondering where she was.
Holder was a highly regarded recruit who had a great fall season and was expected to have an immediate impact for Arizona. Rumors began to swirl that Holder was out for the season. Others claimed she hadn’t been in the stadium all weekend and had left.
The latter rumor was obviously untrue, as Holder was at the game in uniform on Saturday evening. It turns out the former wasn’t true, either.
Lowe was directly asked about the rumors of a season-ending injury. She appeared shocked and a bit upset that such a rumor was being propagated.
“No!” she said emphatically. “No. Absolutely not.”
Lowe did verify that Holder was recovering from an injury, but said that it is not something that has caused her to be ruled out for the season. While the rookie won’t be available this weekend, she is considered “day-to-day.”
“She’s just coming back from something,” Lowe said. “She’s not quite ready yet.”
With the staff trying to keep Adams off the field and Holder unavailable, sophomore righthander Sarah Wright got the start for the Wildcats. The pitcher threw the first inning but went off the rails quickly.
Wright gave up five of seven home runs hit by the Sooners and allowed a double for six extra-base hits. Fellow sophomore Jenae Berry gave up the other two homers. The pair each surrendered three walks for a total of six by Arizona’s pitching staff. They also each hit a batter.
Wright gave up 13 runs (all earned) on 14 hits, three walks, and one hit batter in 2.2 innings. She took the loss.
Berry gave up eight runs with four of them being charged as earned runs. Those came on six hits, three walks, a hit batter, and an error. She pitched 2.0 innings.
The other 0.1 IP was handled by Adams, who had to come in to secure the final out in the top of the fifth. She allowed one hit which pushed an inherited run across. That run was charged to Wright.
“We’re trying to keep Jalen fresh,” Lowe said. “I think those are the facts of the matter. So it’s tough, you know? And when you’re throwing three arms out there, that’s kind of the situation that we’re in. But at the end of the day, we needed to test people.”
The other bullpen had much more success, starting with leftie Audrey Lowry. She pitched 3.1 innings and got the win for OU. She allowed three hits but didn’t surrender a run.
Sydney Berzon followed Lowry and pitched 0.2 innings. She walked a batter but didn’t allow any hits or runs.
Berkley Zache was the only Sooner hurler to allow any runs. She came in for the final inning and allowed Arizona to get three earned runs on two hits, two walks, and one hit batter.
That success was also a reflection of Arizona’s offensive struggles. The Wildcats’ three runs were scored on five hits and three walks. They didn’t get a runner past second base until the final inning. The got two on with one or fewer outs twice, but those runners didn’t move.
“I think they had a very good ace on the mound, and she did her job,” said junior centerfielder Regan Shockey. “We didn’t stick to our plan necessarily, and they capitalized on that. They’re a good team that’s going to call good pitches, and they’re great pitch callers as well. So we just got to stick to our plan and do what we prepared for and trust our preparation.”
Wright walked the first batter she faced. It was a sign of things to come on a night when Arizona pitchers walked six batters.
A one-out home run off the bat of Ella Parker was also a sign of things to come. Arizona pitchers gave up seven homers. It was the first time Oklahoma had hit seven or more home runs since 2022 according to the Sooners’ radio team.
The second home run of the first inning also followed a walk. Nelly McEnroe-Marinas walked on five pitches, bringing up Gabbie Garcia. Garcia knocked it out of the park to put OU up 4-0. They tacked one more on with an RBI single by Ailana Agbayani.
In the series opener, Arizona fell behind 3-0 in the first, but the Wildcat bats fought back immediately. That didn’t happen this time as Lowry sat them down in order.
“I think the first inning got to us and we didn’t respond right away,” Lowe said. “It took us a second, where yesterday, I think we were going blow for blow all game long. It seemed like we got punched and we took too long to recover, because this team had a great game plan coming in, and we didn’t execute.”
Berry started the first game of the series for Arizona, giving up five runs without getting out of the second inning. She entered in relief to start the second inning of game two. Things were just as difficult.
Berry got two outs, but the third one was a struggle. Once again, it started with a walk. A single drove the run in before Berry and her defense could record the final out.
Berry held the Sooners scoreless in the third for the only time of the night. As Arizona continued to struggle offensively, the wheels really fell off in the pitching circle in the fourth inning.
Berry surrendered a single and a four-pitch walk to put two on in front of Garcia. It wasn’t a home run this time, but her groundout drove in the first run of the inning. It was the start of a deluge.
Alyssa Parker hit the Sooners’ third home run of the game. This one put up four runs, giving OU a 12-0 lead.
A single gave OU a baserunner again. Lexi McDaniel got into the home-run game to make it 14-0 and the Sooners still weren’t done.
Berry’s fielding error kept things going and ended her night. It wasn’t a wasted effort for the coach.
“Things that I’m learning about people is who is performing in the big moments, who’s showing up for us.” Lowe said. “What…[do] our new players look like in this type of environment? So we’re learning a whole lot. I mean, I thought Jenae Berry had some really great moments today that she’s going to learn and grow from throughout the season. So I think it’s just taking something from this in big games and figuring out how we’re going to execute at a high level all the time.“
Wright re-entered the game with a runner on. An RBI single promptly added another run to OU’s tally. Yet another home run capped off the scoring in a 10-run inning.
The Sooners sat atop a devastating lead of 16-0. They just needed six outs to even the series in dominating fashion.
It was unlikely that the Wildcats were going to come back. Lowry was dominating them in the circle. The entire OU team was dominating the Arizona pitching staff. Still, putting a run or two on the board would at least show some fight.
Arizona couldn’t break through with some ego-soothing runs in the bottom of the fourth. Emma Kavanagh drew a one-out walk, but a fielder’s choice and a groundout to first wasted the opportunity.
Besides, OU wasn’t done scoring. The Sooners weren’t even done hitting home runs.
Kai Minor led off the fifth with another home run, increasing the lead to 16-0. Kasidi Pickering got all of one three batters later to make it 18-0. Was Oklahoma done?
Nope.
The Sooners started another rally. Two singles and a two-out walk set things up for Alyssa Parker to tack on another run with an RBI single. That also loaded the bases and ended Wright’s outing for the second and final time.
Adams finally entered the game with her team trailing 20-0 with two outs in the top of the fifth. She allowed an RBI single to Minor, but that was charged to Wright. Adams got the final out on a McDaniel’s fielder’s choice.
The 21-0 lead was all but insurmountable, but programs like the one the Arizona Wildcats have built don’t quit even when everyone knows only a miracle could save the day. They needed 14 runs just to keep the game going to the sixth inning.
The miracle didn’t happen, but Arizona didn’t lay down, either.
Addison Duke drew the leadoff walk, then Shockey reached base on a single through the right side. Pinch hitter Kez Lucas was hit by a pitch to load the bases ahead of Sydney Stewart.
Stewart came through with a single down the left field line. It put a run on the board and kept the bases loaded with no outs.
Grace Jenkins drew a walk to force in the second run of the game for Arizona, bringing up Tayler Biehl with the bases loaded.
Biehl was one of the heroines of Arizona’s triumphant comeback against OU on Friday night. She came to the plate with bases loaded and her team leading by one in the sixth inning. That kind of lead wasn’t safe against a powerful team like the Sooners, and she didn’t sit on her laurels. Her grand slam put the Wildcats up 11-6.
She almost did it again. She hit the fly into centerfield once again. This time it didn’t go out, but it did turn into a sacrifice fly to give the Wildcats a third run with one out.
That was the end of it for the home team. The game ended on a strikeout and a groundout, evening the series at 1-1.
“We knew day one it was going to start 0-0, and who executes a better softball game?” Lowe said. “We did on day one, they did on day two, obviously. And I think a little lopsided on both days. And then it’s gut-check time. You know, they responded in a big way today, and it’s up to us to respond tomorrow.”
The two teams will battle it out for the series win on Sunday at 11 a.m. MST.
