In a game with several ups and downs, No. 14 Arizona got into a four-run hole early and lost 10-8 to No. 21 Ole Miss in the NCAA Tournament Tucson regional on Saturday at Hillenbrand Stadium.
The Wildcats play the winner of the loser’s bracket game between Santa Clara and Grand Canyon on Saturday at approximately 7:15 p.m. If Arizona wins, it will need to beat Ole Miss twice, beginning at 4:30 p.m. on Sunday to advance out of the regional.
“I think that kind of game is what the postseason is all about. I’m proud of the fight we had throughout. Obviously, came up short in the end, but I think that fuels our fire for the next game,” Arizona head coach Caitlin Lowe said. “We fought all the way, got into a situation with a chance to win the game, and that’s what we were striving for that whole time. Just props to them (Ole Miss). They played a tough game and (we’re) ready to kind of chip away at this and get after this next one.”
Final: Ole Miss 10, Arizona 8 @AllSportsTucson pic.twitter.com/Git0zrn5xw
— Kevin Murphy (@KevinMurfee) May 17, 2025
Arizona lost 10-8 to Ole Miss and awaits winner of Grand Canyon/Santa Clara game. @AllSportsTucson pic.twitter.com/Bj2Vrj0F5W
— Kevin Murphy (@KevinMurfee) May 17, 2025
Arizona (46-12, 17-7 Big 12) took its first lead at 6-5 in the bottom of the fourth inning when Dakota Kennedy scored from third base on a wild pitch. Kaiah Altmeyer singled to center field later in the inning, and Emma Kavanagh scored on the play on an error on a throw to third base, extending Arizona’s lead to 7-5.
Ole Miss (39-17, 11-13 SEC) cut the lead in half in the top of the fifth inning off a solo home run from Persy Llamas. With two outs, Lexie Brady then singled, leading to a pitching change for Arizona, with Saya Swain taking the circle in relief of Devyn Netz. Swain’s appearance was short-lived. She hit Mackenzie Pickens with a pitch before Taylor Roman hit a three-run home run to left field to regain the lead for Ole Miss at 9-7. Aissa Silva then took the circle and recorded the last out.
Arizona was still down 9-7 with two outs in the bottom of the sixth inning with the bases loaded when Emily Schepp appeared to hit a three-run double down the left field line, but it dropped into foul territory by a matter of inches and was correctly called foul to the chagrin of the fans at Hillenbrand Stadium.
Netz took the circle again to open the seventh inning and gave up a leadoff solo home run to Brady that extended the Ole Miss lead to 10-7, and prompted Miranda Stoddard to relieve Netz.
In the bottom of the seventh inning, Paige Dimler hit a leadoff single in and Jenna Sniffen then walked. With one out and runners on the corners, Kennedy hit an RBI single to cut the Ole Miss lead to 10-8, but that was as close as the Wildcats would get.
The game started about as bad as is it could for Arizona after the first two batters Netz faced — Jaden Pone and Lair Beautae— reached base on errors. Aliyah Binford then singled up the middle, scoring Pone, and cleanup hitter Llamas hit a three-run home run to center to give Ole Miss a 4-0 lead.
A leadoff triple from Kennedy began a response for Arizona in the bottom half of the inning. Regan Shockey then singled up the middle to score Kennedy, and Netz followed her with a two-run home run to center field that Ole Miss center fielder Taylor Malvin looked to have robbed, but when she hit the wall, the ball popped out over the wall. The Wildcats trailed 4-3 heading into the second inning.
A leadoff home run from Angelina DeLeon in the top of the second inning extended the Ole Miss lead to two runs.
In the bottom of the third inning, Altmeyer followed Sydney Stewart’s leadoff double up the middle with an RBI double to left field, and an RBI groundout by Emily Schepp scored Altmeyer to tie the game at five.
Netz allowed six runs and nine hits with three strikeouts in five innings.
Swain (3-4) allowed two runs off one hit and one hit-by-pitch in the the loss.
Binford took the circle to begin the bottom of the second, replacing Ole Miss starter Brianna Lopez. Miali Guachino took the circle to open the bottom of the fifth inning and finished the game for the Rebels.
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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