A five-run inning in the bottom of the third gave No. 20 Arizona some separation, and Aissa Silva steered the Wildcats to shutout UC Davis, 7-0, and Saya Swain controlled the circle against Colorado State, 10-0, in a two-shutout doubleheader on Friday in the Hillenbrand Invitational.
Silva (3-0) allowed five hits and had a walk in six innings against UC Davis in her second start of the season, before freshman Sarah Wright finished the game in the circle in the seventh.
Silva was a a major part of a three-pitcher rotation last season without returners Devyn Netz, Sydney Somerndike and Ryan Maddox who were out because of injuries. Because of Arizona’s eight-deep rotation this season, she hasn’t been as heavily relied on. Silva has pitched 14 1/3 innings this season. At this point last season, she had already pitched 38 1/3 innings.
“Having this many pitchers is a lot nicer this year, being able to rely on a lot more girls,” Silva said. “I definitely think I’m just knowing the role and fulfilling every opportunity that I get and just helping the pitching staff as much as I can.”
Arizona head coach Caitlin Lowe said Silva’s decreased usage in the circle this season impacted how long she pitched on Friday.
“It feels different for her this year… She got to be fresh today, and we got an extended version of her because she was fresh. That feels good,” Lowe said. “It feels good to be able to bring Sarah in at the end of that game, so she doesn’t have to throw the seventh, because last year we weren’t in that boat.”
Lowe said Arizona’s deep pitching rotation is “buying into the plan.”
“The way they’re pairing up well is so great, too. Now it’s just making sure that everyone is getting enough innings to be ready to go,” she said.
Caitlin Lowe talks about Aissa Silva’s role in a deep pitching rotation and how all of the pitchers are “buying into the plan.” @AllSportsTucson pic.twitter.com/snSPwF3v2p
— Kevin Murphy (@KevinMurfee) February 22, 2025
Swain, who has only pitched in a relief role, got her first start of the season in game two against Colorado State. She allowed one hit and had a walk in four innings.
“Usually I’m closing the game, so it felt different, but I like different,” Swain said.
Saya Swain got her first start of the season and Aissa Silva had her longest outing of the season. Cats shutout UC Davis and Colorado State on Friday. @AllSportsTucson pic.twitter.com/3L6oG7xi8X
— Kevin Murphy (@KevinMurfee) February 22, 2025
The scoring spree in the third against UC Davis began with Sydney Stewart‘s line drive two-RBI single to left field that extended Arizona’s lead to 3-0, bringing home Kaiah Altmeyer, who had walked, and Regan Shockey, who had reached base on a fielder’s choice.
A couple of mistakes by UC Davis led to Arizona tacking on three more runs in the inning. Miranda Stoddard was hit by a pitch, and Devyn Netz reached base on an error by UC Davis right fielder Alyssa Dethlefson. With one out, Paige Dimler grounded out, bringing home Stewart and Jenna Sniffen then singled to center, bringing in Stoddard and Netz.
Arizona added a run in the fifth with a sacrifice fly to left field from Logan Cole.
Altmeyer doubled to open the bottom of the first for Arizona and later ended up scoring from third on a wild pitch to score the first run of the game.
In the bottom of the first of the night cap against Colorado State (4-8), Swain walked Morgan Crosby and hit Kyra Smith with a pitch, but stranded them on base and recorded two strikeouts in the inning.
Arizona scored three runs in the bottom of the first. Altmeyer walked and Shockey singled to open the frame and Arizona got two runs off a sacrifice bunt from Stoddard and a fielder’s choice from Emma Kavanagh. With two outs, Sniffen reached base on an error by Colorado State second baseman Crosby, scoring Kavanagh.
The Wildcats added three more runs in the bottom of the third to stretch its lead to 6-0. Stewart and Stoddard walked and Kavanagh reached on fielder’s choice to load the bases. Dimler then hit a two-RBI single through the right side. With two outs, Biehl reached on another error at second by Colorado State’s Cole, scoring Dimler.
Stoddard hit a three-run home run in the bottom of the fourth. It was her seventh home run of the season. With two outs, Sniffen hit an RBI double to center, putting Arizona up 10-0.
Arizona plays No. 1 Texas on Saturday at 3 p.m. at Hillenbrand Stadium. No. 20 Stanford (10-1) upset Texas, 9-5, earlier on Friday.
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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