Sydney Stewart hit her 11th home run of the season, a two-run bomb to the right side of Candrea’s Corner in the bottom of the sixth inning breaking a 4-4 tie and leading No. 11 Arizona to a 6-4 win over its in-state rival Arizona State.
“Just to get to my plan, staying patient and ultimately work with what they gave me even though the pitch was elevated I knew I could get my hands to it,” Stewart said. “We were working on elevated pitches and I feel like that’s something in my zone that I can have power on so I fought that pitch and did the job.”
“This has been back and forth all weekend for a reason, it’s two good teams going at it.” Arizona coach Caitlin Lowe said, “A lot of respect for their fight and we just want to make sure that we can come back in after a statement like that and slam the door.”
Arizona was run-ruled in game one 16-5 by the Sun Devils on Friday, then bounced back to grab a 9-8 win on a walk-off single from Regan Shockey in game two Saturday to even the series.
On Sunday, Arizona (23-8, 6-3) held a 4-0 lead through five innings until the wheels fell off and Arizona State tied it up in the sixth.
Arizona starting pitcher Jalen Adams pitched a shut out allowing just three hits up to the sixth when she allowed two runs. She was relieved by freshman Rylie Holder, who inherited a two on, one out situation.
Holder pitched to two batters giving up two runs before Adams was brought back in to end the sixth.
“It’s 100 degrees outside, and we wanted to get Jalen a little relief too, just like they did Kenzie Brown,” Lowe said on the decision to take Adams out.
“But, at the same time, we knew Rylie could roll a double play and she’s gonna come into those games all the time, and I trust her to come into those games all the time. So it was the right decision. We didn’t execute.”
Adams closed it out in the seventh to get the win. Her 13th of the season.
The Wildcats’ first score came in the first inning when Grace Jenkins hit a single that scored Shockey.
After a scoreless second inning, Arizona plated two more runs off of a Emma Kavanagh sacrifice fly that brought Tayler Biehl home and a Kez Lucas single that plated Stewart.
A fourth inning single from Stewart sent Shockey home to give Arizona a 4-0 lead.
A four run sixth by the Sun Devils (23-9, 3-6) tied it up.
“I was most proud when they put up the four spot we boomed right back, so I think that was a really big deal for us,” Lowe said.
There was a bit of controversy on a two-run ruled double by Arizona State pinch hitter Ryan Brown. The ball went over the glove of Shockey and hit the wall bouncing back into play.
Arizona State questioned the call saying that the ball hit the batter’s eye on the centerfield wall. But the challenge came too late from Arizona State coach Megan Bartlett and the called double stood.
Stewarts two-run homer in the sixth gave the Wildcats the lead and eventual win.
Arizona State’s Kaylee Pond hit a lead-off double to open the seventh, but Adams was able to get the next three batters out to end the Sun Devils’ threat.
Arizona will host GCU (33-1) for one game on Tuesday at 6 p.m. before Baylor comes to Rita Hillenbrand Stadium for a three-game series that starts Friday.
On facing GCU on Tuesday Lowe said, “They’re fantastic. They’ve been good for a while, and they’re always a competitive game for us. They pitch well. They execute offensively well. So it’s going to be really important to take a day off, get rest on our bodies, but then be ready.”
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