OKLAHOMA CITY—UCF came into the Big 12 Softball Tournament quarterfinals with some confidence. Not only had the Knights defeated Utah to advance, but they knew they could beat the team that was on the schedule next. They had already done so twice this year.
“I think a lot,” said UCF shortstop Aubrey Evans about how much confidence that gave her team. “Again, they’re a really good team, but we are too, and I think a lot of people overlook us. So, that’s fine with us. Just makes us better. And we’re gritty grinders, but again, you got to come with your best game every single day, and when we play against our best selves, I think that’s when we’re really hard to beat.”
UCF beat the No. 12 Arizona Wildcats twice to take the conference series between the two teams to start Big 12 play—and they did it on the road. And they were really hard to beat in Oklahoma City. Arizona had to come back in the latter half of the game to take a 4-3 victory.
“Just super proud of the way we chipped away at that, though, because we changed a little bit of the momentum,” Arizona head coach Caitlin Lowe said.
Arizona had to chip away after the second inning. UCF jumped out to a 2-0 lead on three straight singles and a fielder’s choice. The two runs ended the day for Wildcat starter Miranda Stoddard, bringing in Big 12 Player of the Year Devyn Netz to finish the game.
Netz didn’t have much more luck when she took the circle. Evans extended the Knights’ lead to 3-0 with a solo home run to lead off the third inning.
“I thought that the Knights played really well for about three innings, and then we just didn’t do a great job of making our adjustments, and Arizona and Netz capitalized on that,” said UCF head coach Cindy Ball-Malone. “So, kudos to them, and just more for us to continue to make adjustments on for the upcoming postseason.”
The Wildcats capitalized on it in the next inning. Netz held the Knights scoreless for the first time since the first inning. Centerfielder Regan Shockey swung away, hitting a ball into the corner of right field. With her speed, it was an easy triple.
“She’s been working on that for a long time, and I thought she provided the spark,” Lowe said.
Sydney Stewart knocked her in with an excuse-me swing that sent an easy ball to third base. The throw was in time to get Stewart at first, but the UCF first baseman couldn’t pick it cleanly. Arizona was on the board.
Netz threw another zero on the board in the top of the fifth, sitting the Knights down in order. The Wildcats carried that momentum into their offensive half of the inning.
Sniffen was hit by a pitch, then sacrificed over by Tayler Biehl. A single by designated player Emily Schepp put runners on the corners. Dakota Kennedy made it a one-run game with a sac fly. They were still down a run and had two outs, though.
They kept the rally going. Shockey got her second straight hit. This time it was the short game. That put runners on the corners.
Stewart was hit by a pitch to load them up for Netz. She came through with a single to score two and give Arizona the lead. That ended the day of redshirt freshman pitcher Isabella Vega.
“I needed to make a switch sooner, and that was on me, but I think she deserved to stay in there,” Ball-Malone said. “She’s earned it throughout the year, but that’s this game. You know, good hitters, they need to see different looks, and I probably was about two or three batters late on making that decision.”
Netz dismissed the Knights in order in the sixth, then returned to the circle to try to close it out. UCF didn’t go away easily.
Izzy Mertes singled with a bloop into shallow center to lead off the inning, but Beth Damon popped up. Her defense didn’t let Netz have all the fun.
The first pitch to Samantha Rey was in the dirt. It got away from Stewart. Pinch runner Alexis Morgan tried to steal second, but Stewart scrambled and threw from her knees. Biehl tagged out Morgan for the second out. Arizona just needed one more to advance in their first Big 12 tournament game.
Biehl was the key here, too. Rey hit the next pitch to the right of the shortstop, who ranged over and threw it on to first to put Arizona in the semifinals.
The Wildcats will face either No. 6 seed BYU, which they beat 2-1 in their regular season series, or No. 3 seed Iowa State. The Cyclones were leading 3-1 after four innings.
If it is Iowa State, it will the first matchup between the two teams, giving Arizona pitcher Saya Swain the opportunity to face her old squad. The game will be played on Friday, May 9 at 3:30 p.m. MST.
Lead photo courtesy of the Big 12 Conference