Arizona moved to 0-2 in Big 12 play with the loss to UCF on Saturday. (Arizona Athletics)
No. 7 Arizona dropped its second-straight game for the first time this season and its first Big 12 series, losing 5-4 to UCF on Saturday at Hillenbrand Stadium.
The Wildcats led early, and had opportunities to regain the lead late, but ultimately came up short, stranding 13 runners on base and giving up 15 hits to the scrappy and resilient Knights.
UCF took its first lead of the game at 5-3 in the top of the fifth with a two-run home run to center from Ashleigh Griffin.
Arizona scored one run in the bottom of the sixth to make it a one run game when Emily Schepp grounded out to second with the bases loaded, scoring Regan Shockey, but the Wildcats stranded two runners on base to close the inning out.
Arizona got the tieing runner on in the bottom of the seventh in an unconventional fashion. Jenna Sniffen flew out to right field to lead off the inning, but because of an illegal substitution in right field for UCF, the out was subsequently erased. Sniffen then singled to shortstop, but Arizona wasn’t able to capitalize with Dakota Kennedy reaching on a fielder’s choice and Shockey grounding out to end the game.
Following UCF’s 9-3 upset of Arizona on Friday, Arizona head coach Caitlin Lowe was frustrated with the team’s mental approach.
That wasn’t the case on Saturday.
“I thought we had way better fight. They hit the ball well today, and we had a chance to win the game at the very end,” she said. “When we’re in a battle like that, as far as the offense goes, that’s what we want. We want to be able to win the game in the last inning. I’d choose that lineup every time to execute those moments. I thought we were feisty as heck today, made them earn more outs and took counts really deep.”
Lowe said there is room to grow when it comes to the middle innings. Arizona had two errors and gave up one unearned run.
“It was cleaner defense, but not clean defense. So there’s always ways to improve. But I liked their fight today,” she said.
Caitlin Lowe said the team had “way more fight” than in game one of series against UCF. The Wildcats came up short to drop second-straight game. @AllSportsTucson pic.twitter.com/hN6sySEIUX
— Kevin Murphy (@KevinMurfee) March 9, 2025
Arizona (21-4, 0-2 Big 12) scored a run in each of the first two innings to take a 2-0 lead. Kaiah Altmeyer hit an RBI double down the left field line in the first and Tayler Biehl hit a solo home run to right in the second.
UCF (19-7-1, 2-0 Big 12) tied the game in the top of the third when Aubrey Evans hit a two-run home run just over the left field wall that Dakota Kennedy nearly robbed. After Arizona starter Miranda Stoddard allowed five hits in the inning, Saya Swain came in to relieve her in the circle and recorded the final out, stranding two runners to get the Wildcats out of the jam.
The Wildcats regained the lead in the bottom of the third after Devyn Netz with a leadoff home run that cleared the batter’s eye in center.
UCF tied the game at 3-3 with two outs in the top of the fourth when Evans singled to center and Regan Shockey mishandled the ball leading to Sierra Humphreys scoring an unearned run. Netz relieved Swain in the circle at that point and recorded the final out.
Netz (8-3) pitched 3 1/3 innings, allowing seven hits and two runs, with three strikeouts.
Arizona closes the series against UCF Sunday at 10 a.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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