Arizona tied a program record by earning its eighth consecutive run-rule victory, defeating BYU 16-3 on Saturday afternoon at Hillenbrand Stadium.
“Oh, that’s pretty cool, we didn’t know,” Grace Jenkins said about tying the record. “In the final talk, coach Cait (Caitlin Lowe) said we won every single inning this weekend, so it’s not about the game, but it’s about like the game within the game.”
Arizona (20-5, 3-0 Big 12) swept BYU (5-17, 0-3) but will now have one of its toughest tests of the season, playing three games at Texas Tech (25-1, 3-0) next weekend, starting Friday facing All-American pitcher NiJaree Canady.
The run production over the last eight games will give Lowe’s lineup the confidence needed to face Canady and former UCLA pitcher Kaitlyn Terry.
“Even when they put up runs, we put up just as many or more,” Lowe said of the scoring against BYU. “That was a big deal for us that if they punch, we were going to punch right back and make a statement.”
Arizona must’ve felt like Mike Tyson considering Tayler Biehl, Sydney Stewart, and Jenna Sniffen all had three RBIs apiece in the game and five more players had one or more.
Jalen Adams also looked comfortable in the finale of a series that she pitched all three days in getting four punchouts and only two earned runs.
“This team is amazing and you know when you get your name called that they’re all supporting you, they’re all behind you,” Tele Jennings said.
The Cougars came out hot getting on base by way of a throwing error by Biehl, letting Hailey Shuler reach before Ilove’a Brittingham hit a homerun to right field.
Adams bounced back and finished the inning with a strike out.
The Wildcats’ bats came out humming getting two quick runners on base before Biehl hit a line drive bringing home Regan Shockey and getting Seriniti Trice to third.
Sydney Stewart hit a sacrifice fly to the wall, bringing in Trice. Jenkins earned a walk before Sniffen launched one over the wall in left field wall, bringing in Biehl and Jenkins. Arizona led 5-2.
Adams had a 1-2-3 top of the second inning.
Arizona put up six runs in its half of the second inning, highlighted by a two-run shot to centerfield by Stewart that brought in Trice.
Jennings kept it going with a single that got into right field, scoring Jenkins, followed by a double from Wild to right field, getting Molli Daley and Jennings across, extending the lead to 11-2.
BYU started the third inning with a double by Rita Tavita followed by a hit from Hailey Morrow that just got past Sniffen’s glove.
Adams answered with back-to-back strikeouts before Bre Townsend hit a double to the left field gap bringing in Tavita and making the score 11-3.
The Wildcats came right back with Jennings and Wild getting on base once again before their pinch-runners – Kiki Escobar and and former Tucson High and Pima College standout Camila Zepeda – were brought home in back-to-back plate appearances by Emma Kavanagh and Shockey.
Trice worked a walk loading the bases before Biehl hit a ball up the middle, scoring Duke – brought in for Kavanagh – and Shockey from second, extending the lead to 15-3.
Stewart walked before Sina Talatina had an RBI ground out scoring Trice from third for the final run of the game.
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