opening the weekend with a run-rule! pic.twitter.com/mKsfbtSYxz
— Arizona Softball (@ArizonaSoftball) March 14, 2025
With Arizona winning handily against struggling Utah on Friday afternoon, a healthy competition at Hillenbrand Stadium that continues to brew for the Wildcats is the team’s RBI lead this season.
Devyn Netz, Arizona’s winning pitcher in the 8-0 victory in five innings, hit a two-run home run that increased her RBI total to 33.
Kaiah Altmeyer belted a solo home run to give her 33 RBIs as well.
Sydney Stewart, who has 32 RBIs, did not drive in a run but she scored twice and recorded a hit in her two at-bats.
Altmeyer, Netz and Stewart are the No. 3-5 batters in the lineup.
“They’ve been fantastic and they feed off each other,” Arizona coach Caitlin Lowe said of her middle lineup. “They learn from each other’s at-bats, which is great and that’s when we’re playing our best. That’s when they’re troubleshooting.
“I think Kaiah was the one I heard after that first inning say, ‘This is the plan. This is what she (Utah starter Taylor Jacobs) is doing.’ Everybody was locked in and I think that’s when we play good softball.”
Arizona coach Caitlin Lowe’s team is 24-4 overall and 2-2 in the Big 12 following today’s 8-0 win in five innings over Utah at Hillenbrand. She comments on Arizona’s lineup depth and potency, Devyn Netz’s efficiency in the circle, Aissa Silva developing more as a closer and… pic.twitter.com/AxsJmsnUy0
— Javier Morales (@JavierJMorales) March 14, 2025
Lowe added that Arizona (24-4, 2-2 Big 12) will “wipe the slate clean and start again” in the second game of the three-game series with Utah (8-20, 0-1) Saturday at 4 p.m. at Hillenbrand.
The Utes’ top two pitchers — Hailey Maestretti (3-5, 2.78 ERA) and Shelbee Jones (3-8, 4.88) — did not pitch Friday.
Utah has yet to play at home this season but must have felt at home because of the inclement weather that is more befitting of Salt Lake City rather than Tucson this time of year. The game was moved from 6 p.m. to 3 p.m. for fear of evening showers (and the Wildcats’ gymnastics team had a home match against Utah State on Senior Night that started at 6 p.m.).
The temperature was 52 degrees when Friday’s game started at Hillenbrand.
“Actually, it snowed on us last year in Utah,” Lowe said. “The girls remember that … It’s supposed to be beautiful by Sunday, so who knows? It’s weird. It was in the 100s in October and it seems that winter has shifted into the spring.
“It’s good to get this under our belt before we travel to some places.”
After playing at Arizona State next weekend, the Wildcats will travel to Provo, Utah, to face BYU the week after.
Miranda Stoddard and Devyn Netz each belted two-run home runs in Arizona’s 8-0 victory in five innings over Utah. Stoddard also knocked in the first run on a double in the second inning. She finished 2 for 2 with two runs and three RBIs and her HR was her first since Feb. 21 (she… pic.twitter.com/gHj8sbeWbs
— Javier Morales (@JavierJMorales) March 14, 2025
Netz improved to 9-3 with a 2.67 ERA with victory in four innings of work against Utah. She allowed three hits (all singles) and struck out one and walked one.
She has developed into Arizona’s ace with a team-high 60 1/3 innings pitched. Opponents are batting .223 against her and she has 56 strikeouts with only 11 walks.
“She’s always fiery; she’s going to be passionate,” Lowe said. “Today, I saw her make adjustments, which is really great. I saw her get hit in the first inning, get hit a little bit in second inning and just come right back.
“That was really important and she let her defense play behind her. It was nice to see her not like a few pitches and then come back and adjust the next time through.”
Netz said the quality of pitching relates to the potency of Arizona’s lineup.
“Our pitching staff, especially our girls that usually start games, we really pride ourselves on setting the tone,” Netz said. “I think that’s what gets our offense going.”
Arizona broke through in the bottom of the second inning after failing to score in the bottom of the first, when a double play ended a threat of runners on first and second with only one out.
Stewart led off the second with a walk and scored on Stoddard’s double down the left field line off Jacobs (0-2).
Jenna Sniffen followed with her fourth home run of the season, a shot over the left field wall on an 0-1 count, to put Arizona ahead 3-0.
Netz and Stoddard highlighted a four-run third inning with each hitting a two-run home run against Jacobs over the left-field fence.
Netz’s home run occurred with one out and it plated Regan Shockey, who led off the inning with an infield single.
After Stewart singled, Stoddard followed with a blast that bounced in front of the Hillenbrand clubhouse well beyond the left field wall that put Arizona ahead 7-0.
It was Stoddard’s first home run since Feb. 21. At that point of the season, Stoddard had seven home runs in Arizona’s first 13 games.
“Honestly, the goal is never to hit a home run,” Stoddard said. “If you’re thinking home run, that’s when you hit a pop up. I think just staying consistent and trying to drive the ball hard, happy actions happen when that’s the case.”
Arizona scored its last run with two outs in the bottom of the fourth on Altmeyer’s fourth home run of the season, a blast over the center field wall.
Aissa Silva relieved Netz in the top of the fifth and got the first two batters out, including a strikeout for the first out. After allowing a walk and hitting a batter with a pitch, Silva got the last out on a fly ball to left field that Dakota Kennedy tracked down before banging into the wall.
“She came in great; I loved her energy,” Lowe said of Silva, who is 3-0 with a 2.62 ERA. “She went into the strike zone right away, went right after that first hitter. She was at 0-2 on the third hitter.
“That’s one pitch away from being completely clean. That’s not miles away. She’s right there knocking on the door. I love that (closing) role for her, too. I love her coming in and closing. I think she thrives in that role.”
FOLLOW @JAVIERJMORALES ON TWITTER!
ALLSPORTSTUCSON.com publisher, writer and editor Javier Morales is a former Arizona Press Club award winner. He is a former Arizona Daily Star beat reporter for the Arizona basketball team, including when the Wildcats won the 1996-97 NCAA title. He has also written articles for CollegeAD.com, Bleacher Report, Lindy’s Sports, TucsonCitizen.com, The Arizona Republic, Sporting News and Baseball America, among many other publications. He has also authored the book “The Highest Form of Living”, which is available at Amazon. He became an educator in 2016 and is presently a special education teacher at Sunnyside High School in the Sunnyside Unified School District.
Recommended for you
