It didn’t take long for Arizona softball to show its dominance in game two of the series against Kansas. The No. 13 Wildcats were out to a 7-0 lead after one inning on their way to a 15-3 run-rule victory in five innings.
With the game out of hand early, the coaches were able to get innings for young pitchers and some at-bats for pinch hitters.
The offense took advantage of 11 hits, five walks, two hit batters, and four Jayhawk errors to score 15 runs over the first three innings.
Miranda Stoddard led in the batter’s box with a 2 for 2 day. She drove in four runs and scored one of her own.
Senior Paige Dimler served as the designated player. She went 1 for 2 with a home run. She drove in three runs.
Dakota Kennedy and Tayler Biehl also drove in multiple runs. Each player had two RBI.
Arizona got one RBI each from pinch hitter Emily Schepp, right fielder Kaiah Altmeyer, and catcher Sydney Stewart.
Devyn Netz got the start in the circle. She went two innings of a five-inning game and picked up the win. The redshirt senior improved to 16-4 this season by not giving up a baserunner during her two frames. She struck out three.
Sophomore pitcher Brooke Mannon relieved Netz. Mannon threw 1.2 innings. She gave up three runs on two hits, three walks, and a wild pitch.
Freshman Sarah Wright finished out the game. She threw 1.1 innings with no runs and no hits. She allowed one walk.
Kansas starter Katie Brooks struggled with location from the beginning. She loaded the bases on a walk, a single, and a hit batter, then forced in the first run with another hit batter. She left after giving up six runs.
Lizzy Ludwig relieved Brooks. Ludwig allowed an inherited runner to score before getting the final out of the first. Arizona was up by seven.
Netz sat the side down in order to get her team back up to face Ludwig. The KU pitcher got the first out then loaded the bases on two singles and a throwing error.
Ludwig fielded Dimler’s fielder’s choice and had an easy out at third. Her throw was high and wide, pulling the third baseman off the bag. Netz got into third safely.
Stoddard cleared the bases on a single and another error. Arizona was up 10-0 with one out. When Jenna Sniffen followed with a single, the Wildcats had chased yet another Jayhawk pitcher.
Kaelee Washington came in for KU and gave up three more runs before getting out of the second. Arizona added six runs in the inning to go up 13-0.
Netz once again sat down the side in order in the bottom of the inning.
Arizona got its final two runs in the top of the third. Emma Kavanagh drew a walk, then Dimler hit her second home run of the season to drive both in.
Kavanagh stayed in to catch and Mannon took the circle in the bottom of the third. She got through her first inning of work with three straight groundouts but ran into trouble in the fourth.
Two singles and a walk loaded the bases with two outs. Another single brought in the Jayhawks’ first two runs of the series. Mannon walked one more before being relieved by Wright.
Wright took a minute to settle in. She walked in a run, although it was charged to Mannon. The freshman bounced back in the bottom of the fifth, sitting the side down in order to close out the run-rule victory.
Arizona and KU return to the field at 10 a.m. MST on Sunday, Apr. 13 when the Wildcats go for the series sweep. The game will stream on ESPN+.
Lead photo courtesy of Arizona Athletics