Closing out the regular season with a series sweep! pic.twitter.com/iXc6oeq5jA
— Arizona Softball (@ArizonaSoftball) May 4, 2025
Arizona achieved its second Big 12 sweep of the season and ended its conference road schedule with a 10-2 record with Sunday’s 8-3 win at Houston.
The Wildcats (43-10, 17-7) will travel from Houston to Oklahoma City for their first appearance in the Big 12 tournament.
As the No. 2 seed, Arizona receives a bye until Thursday’s quarterfinal round.
The Wildcats, who have won six of their last seven games, will play either No. 7 UCF (32-21-1, 12-12) or No. 10 Utah (13-39, 5-19). UCF and Utah will play in a first-round game Wednesday at 3 p.m.
Arizona took control of its game from the start Sunday against Houston (22-24, 4-18) with a five-run first inning.
The Cougars, who had two games cancelled because of weather at Oklahoma State last month, finish as the last team as the No. 11 seed. They will play No. 6 BYU (31-16, 13-11) in a first-round game Wednesday at 5:30 p.m.
Arizona’s rally in the first was highlighted by Miranda Stoddard’s grand slam that increased the lead to 5-0 after Kaiah Altmeyer hit a single that plated Regan Shockey (singled and stole second before Altmeyer’s hit).
The bases became loaded for Stoddard, who has 13 home runs this season, after Sydney Stewart and Devyn Netz walked.
It was Arizona’s second grand slam of the series. Dakota Kennedy launched on in the win Friday.
Houston starter Nicole Bodeux (3-8) exited after walking Netz and Stoddard belted her grand slam off reliever Paris Lehman.
Saya Swain, making only her fifth start of the season, did not retire any of the four batters she faced.
Stoddard relieved Swain in the circle after Houston rallied for two runs off two walks, a hit-by-pitch and two wild pitches in addition to an RBI single by Bethany Aguilar.
Stoddard, who improved to 12-0, did not allow a hit until the fourth inning. By the time she was relieved by Ryan Maddox in the fifth, Stoddard kept Houston scoreless with no walks and two strikeouts.
Arizona increased its lead to 6-2 in the third inning after Stoddard hit a leadoff double and scored with one out after Jenna Sniffen singled to right field and the right fielder committed a throwing error toward home plate.
Stoddard finished 2 for 3 with her double and home run. She had two runs and five RBIs.
The lead became 7-2 in the fourth on Stewart’s 16th home run of the season.
Arizona scored its final run in the sixth inning after Altmeyer, Stewart and Netz walked to load the bases. Stoddard’s sacrifice fly scored Altmeyer to increase the lead to 8-2.
Houston closed the scoring with a solo home run by Brooke Wells in the ninth inning off reliever Aissa Silva.
Maddox allowed one hit and walked two batters while striking out one in her two innings of work.
Silva struck out two batters in addition to allowing the home run in the seventh.
Shockey was 2 for 4 with a run, Altmeyer went 1 for 3 with two runs and an RBI and Stewart finished 1 for 2 with two walks and her home run.
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