No. 11 Arizona did not back down to top-ranked Texas despite the Longhorns rallying for three runs in the top of the first inning and the Wildcats trailing going into the bottom of the seventh inning Saturday.
The Wildcats answered with a three-run rally of their own in the first inning and Salpointe grad Logan Cole and Kaiah Altmeyer hit consecutive doubles to lead off the bottom of the seventh, tying the game and knocking starter Teagan Kavan out of the game in the process.
Texas rallied for four runs in the top of the eighth, including a three-run home run by Kayden Henry, to survive with an 8-4 victory at Hillenbrand Stadium in the Hillenbrand Invitational.
Arizona (14-2) concludes play in the Hillenbrand Invitational on Sunday with a game against Stanford at 11:30 a.m.
Texas (14-1) rallied for all of its runs after two outs were recorded in the first, sixth and eighth innings.
The four-run eighth inning was ignited by Joley Mitchell’s leadoff single that forced automatic runner Leighann Goode to third base.
Goode was thrown out at home on a fielder’s choice grounder hit to Cole at second base.
No. 9 batter Kaydee Bennett was then walked by Saya Swain (2-1) to load the bases. Arizona pitching coach Christian Conrad visited Swain in the circle and opted to leave her in the game.
Ashton Maloney followed with a sacrifice line drive to left field that scored Mitchell with the go-ahead run.
Kayden Henry then hit her three-run home run to right-center field that increased the lead to 8-4.
After the next batter, Mia Scott, hit a single, Swain was relieved by Devyn Netz (who returned to the circle after pitching five innings of relief earlier).
Netz got the last batter to fly out.
Texas stopper Citlaly Gutierrez, who entered in relief of Kavan (5-1) in the seventh after the back-to-back doubles by Cole and Altmeyer, retired the side in the eighth inning to end the game. She earned her third save of the season.
After entering the circle in the seventh inning, Gutierrez got Sydney Stewart and Miranda Stoddard to each fly out to end the threat with Altmeyer on second base.
Texas ended a stalemate in the sixth inning with a run after both teams went scoreless in the second through fifth innings
With two outs, Mitchell hit an infield single and advanced to second on a wild pitch by Netz.
Pinch-hitter Katie Cimusz followed with a double off the left field wall, scoring Mitchell to put Texas ahead 4-3.
Swain entered in relief of Netz at that time.
The teams combined for six runs in the first inning before Kavan and Netz calmed each lineup.
Texas rallied for its three runs in the top of the first after Stoddard, Arizona’s starter, got the first two batters to ground out and strike out.
Scott singled, Reese Atwood reached on an error and Katie Stewart was hit by a pitch to load the bases.
Goode hit a single down the right field line to drive in two runs. Mitchell followed with a single up the middle to knock in the third run.
Netz relieved Stoddard and got the first batter she faced to strike out to end the inning.
Arizona struck back quickly, scoring its three runs on six pitches to tie the game.
Altmeyer hit a single on a 2-1 count and Shockey followed with an infield single on the first pitch she saw.
Sydney Stewart then belted a line-drive home run to center field on the first delivery from Kavan.
The three-run shot was her fourth home run this season.
After the scoring explosion in the first, neither team had a runner in scoring position until Arizona loaded the bases in the bottom of the fifth.
Cole, a Salpointe graduate, reached base on a fielding error with one out.
After a fly out for the second out, Shockey hit a single down the left field line, moving Cole to second. Stewart followed with a walk on five pitches to load the bases.
Stoddard, who leads the Wildcats with seven home runs, posed a serious threat but Kavan struck her out looking on a 2-2 count to end the inning.
Altmeyer, Shockey and Netz each finished with two hits as part of Arizona’s nine hits.
Netz allowed three hits and one run in 5 1/3 innings with two strikeouts and two walks.
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