No. 17 Arizona lost to Washington before beating Western Michigan in six innings in the night cap on day two of the Candrea Classic at Hillenbrand Stadium on Friday night.
The Wildcats got off to an early lead in the first game against Washington but Devyn Netz gave up two home runs and the Wildcats went cold on offense, losing 6-2 to the Huskies.
Sydney Stewart got things started for Arizona with an RBI single to right field in the bottom of the first, and an RBI sacrifice fly from Tayler Biehl in the second put the Wildcats up 2-0. Later in the frame, Regan Shockey singled down the left field line to load the bases with two outs before Devyn Netz grounded out to end the inning.
Netz got the start for Arizona in the circle and had given up one hit until the Huskies tied the game off a two-out, two-run home run to center from Charity Sevaaetasi in the top of the third.
Washington (1-1) took its first lead in the top of the fourth. With runners on second and third and no outs, Riley Pescheck hit a three-home run to left centerfield to give the Huskies a 5-2 lead and prompt the Arizona staff to have Saya Swain relieve Netz in the circle.
It was the fourth home run Netz had given up in five innings in the circle this season. She gave up two straight home runs to Michigan State in the sixth inning on Thursday.
“”I think they did a good job competing at the plate and just finding a way to get to Devyn’s dirtier stuff,” Arizona head coach Caitlin Lowe said. “I still that there’s a level that she can get to competitively and she’s working her way back into the game.”
Washington extended its lead to 6-2 in the fifth when Giselle Alvarez hit an RBI single up the middle.
Sophia Ramuno had replaced Stevie Hansen in the circle for the Huskies with one out in the bottom of the third and retired the next eight Arizona batters through the fifth inning.
“She did well,” Lowe said of Ramuno’s pitching. “I just think that we didn’t settle in. I think we’re definitely better hitters than that, especially with two strikes.
Caitlin Lowe talks about Devyn Netz struggling in the circle and the pitching rotation on Friday. @AllSportsTucson pic.twitter.com/wDpNScEw9P
— Kevin Murphy (@KevinMurfee) February 8, 2025
Arizona will face Washington again on Sunday following a game against No. 11 Alabama on Saturday.
“”We’re happy that we have another shot,” Lowe said. “We have a big game tomorrow and happy we have them again on the schedule to make adjustments, but really its just staying within ourselves as hitters and being able to compete with our strengths and not trying to be too much in those moments, and just trying to play good softball and execute our jobs.”
Arizona started the bottom of the sixth with back-to-back singles from Kaiah Altmeyer and Kiki Escobar. With one out, Paige Dimler seemingly hit an infield single to load the bases, but Altmeyer was called out at third for runner interference. Sniffen fouled out to end the inning.
Netz (1-1) allowed five runs on five hits with six strikeouts and a walk in three innings.
Ramuno (1-0) allowed four hits with four strikeouts in 4 2/3 innings.
Washington dropped its first game of the season earlier on Friday, losing 5-1 to Alabama.
Arizona run-ruled Western Michigan 14-6 in six innings in game two on Friday, but it was a back-and-forth affair for some of the game.
Miranda Stoddard got the start for Arizona and didn’t allow a hit through three innings.
“It felt great, it was good. It’s good to just come out there and shut it down and make a statement and set the tone as we talk about,” Stoddard said.
Miranda Stoddard and Logan Cole talk about how the Wildcats battled back in game two against Western Michigan after losing to Washington in the Candrea Classic. @AllSportsTucson pic.twitter.com/6Cp9sXU1SH
— Kevin Murphy (@KevinMurfee) February 8, 2025
The Wildcats held a 4-0 lead in the top of the fourth when a scoring barrage for Western Michigan (1-2) began after the Broncos loaded the bases off a pair of singles by Payton Kelly and Tristen Head and a fielding error by Cole. An errant throw from Biehl to first brought two runs in.
With two outs, Sydney Somerndike replaced Stoddard in the circle. Somerndike gave up a walk before Micaela Booth hit a three-run home run to give Western Michigan a 5-4 lead. Aissa Silva then took the circle and Haleigh Smith tripled. Smith scored on a passed ball to extend Western Michigan’s lead to 6-4.
An RBI-single from Netz in the bottom of the fourth made it a one-run game.
The Arizona staff made another pitching change with two outs in the top of the fifth, bringing in Ryan Maddox.
Cole hit a two-out single in the bottom of the fifth and Kennedy hit a two-run home run to left field to regain the lead for Arizona at 7-6.
Cole said the stacked lineup of hitters at Arizona gives her lots of confidence.
“It’s really nice to know that if I can’t get the job done, there’s eight other people behind me that can get the job done,” she said.
Arizona pulled away from Western Michigan, scoring seven runs in the bottom of the sixth. Anyssa Wild hit an RBI single up the middle to give Arizona an insurance run, Paige Dimler doubled up the middle, scoring Netz, and pinch runner Escobar scored on a throwing error. Then it was Kennedy who came up big again with a three-run RBI double to left center to extend Arizona’s lead to 13-6.
An RBI fielder’s choice by Shockey gave Arizona its final score of 14-6.
Arizona got on board in the bottom of the first. Shockey tripled to right field with one out and later scored on a passed ball to take a 1-0 lead.
The Wildcats loaded the bases in the bottom of the second and Kennedy flied out to left field, scoring Kavanagh to extend the lead to 2-0. With two outs and the bases loaded once again, Western Michigan pitcher Jadeyn Merrill walked Altmeyer— Merrill’s fifth walk of the game — to give Arizona a 3-0 lead.
Casey Fazzini replaced Merrill in the circle and proceeded to walk Stewart to bring in another run for Arizona.
Maddox (1-0) allowed no hits and had a walk in 1 1/3 innings.
Fazzini (0-1) allowed four runs off five hits and four walks in 3 2/3 innings.
Arizona plays No. 11 Alabama on Saturday at 5 p.m. at Hillenbrand Stadium.
FOLLOW @KEVINMURFEE ON TWITTER!ALLSPORTSTUCSON.com writer Kevin Murphy was born and raised in Tucson, and has followed Arizona Wildcats athletics since childhood. Murphy is a journalist product manager with the Green Valley News & the Sahuarita Sun. He has a bachelor’s degree from the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at ASU.
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