No. 18 Arizona gave up back-to-back home runs in the top of the seventh inning, dropping the series finale to No. 3 Oklahoma 5-4 on Sunday afternoon at Hillenbrand Stadium.
“I love the way they showed up today, the way they prepared. They had short memory, but also came out and went for it,” Arizona coach Caitlin Lowe said of her team.
After giving up a leadoff walk in the first inning, Arizona (3-2) retired the next three batters, shutting out Oklahoma (3-1) in the first inning for the first time this series. The Sooners scored three in the first inning in Friday’s game and five on Saturday.
Arizona had a chance to score in the first with runners on first and second with two outs. Tayler Biehl hit a single to shallow right field. Sydney Stewart got the call to go home, where she was thrown out by Ella Parker, keeping the game scoreless.
Oklahoma loaded the bases in the second inning with a single from Nelly McEnroe–Marinas and walks by Allyssa Parker and Ailana Agbayani. Arizona minimized the damage to one; McEnroe-Marinas scored on a sacrifice fly to left by Abby Dayton.
The Wildcats immediately struck back. Anyssa Wild and Jenna Sniffen walked, and a pitch hit Sina Talataina to load the bases for Addison Duke, who was walked, bringing in pinch runner Molli Daley.
The walk forced Oklahoma to bring in Audrey Lowry, Saturday’s starter, to get out of the jam. Stewart had other plans, hitting a bases-clearing triple to right, giving Arizona a 4-1 lead after two innings.
“I just wanted to be on time. I know she’s (Lowry) really good at changing speeds, so being able to sit also fight for that change,” Stewart said, talking about her bases-clearing triple. “I’m just thinking ‘oppo’ for everything off of her, but I got the pitch that I wanted.”
The Sooners chipped into the Wildcats’ lead in the fourth. With runners at the corners, Kasidi Pickering grounded out to second, giving Allyssa Parker enough time to reach home.
After a one, two, three bottom of the fourth inning, Gabbie Garcia hits a home run to start the fifth, cutting Arizona’s lead down to one.
After Jalen Adams walked Dayton to leadoff the sixth, Oklahoma looked to tie or even retake the lead. Their next two batters flied out to the third base side, Dayton attempted take second, only for Duke to throw her out in time and shut the inning down for Oklahoma.
After Wild fouled out on the first base side, Kiki Escobar and Emma Kavanagh hit singles up the middle, looking to add insurance runs for Arizona, only for the next two batters to fly out and hit into a fielder’s choice.
The Sooners tie the game at the top of the seventh with a leadoff homerun by Kendall Wells.
The next batter, Garcia, comes up and hits her second home run of the day, reclaiming the lead for Oklahoma.
Arizona looked close to tying the game after Sereniti Trice singled to third and advanced to second on a wild pitch. Stewart hit an infield popout, advancing Trice to third before Oklahoma challenged the call. After a few minutes to review, Trice was called out, being tagged on the finger right before reaching third, halting the rally, the Wildcats were building up.
“I think we’re going to be stronger and better because of this series and this weekend in general,” Adams said.
Arizona next plays in the Bear Down Fiesta Thursday against Drake at 5: p.m. on ESPN+.
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