The Nevada Wolfpack posted a 41-14 record last year, but a loss to San Diego State in the Mountain West Softball Tournament final was enough to end their hopes of making the NCAA Tournament. They fell to the Arizona Wildcats 9-7 on Tuesday night at Hillenbrand Stadium and look like they’re ready to make amends.
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“I thought it was just a tough performance from both teams,” Arizona coach said Caitlin Lowe. “Nevada is a really good team. They’re well-coached. And, you know, at the end of the day, you’re not going to get style points. I think a win is a win.”
Freshman right-hander Riley Holder She ushered in the second start of her college career, this time facing a tougher opponent. She finished four innings, allowing four runs (three ERA) on four hits, two walk-offs and an error behind her.
“I thought she was hitting hard,” Lowe said. “I thought they all did that and their hitters made some good adjustments. So we adjusted from there.”
Arizona used three of its four pitchers to win a Wolf Pack game. Nevada scored on two of the three, but the Wolfpack had multiple runners on all three. Jena Berry At the beginning of the fifth inning, he pitched 1.1 innings and gave up three runs on three hits. Two of those hits gained extra bases.
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Jaren Adams He comes in when Berry is in trouble. She pitched 1.2 innings, gave up three hits, struck out one batter, and allowed a run.
advanced Sidney Stewart Caught all three Arizona pitchers. She saw some positives and saw some things to work on.
“I feel like at some point we’ve gotten it perfect and we should just let it play out and let the ball work its way through our shifts knowing our infielders can run the ball like we did the last game,” Stewart said.
Tyler Beale Stewart leads the Wildcats’ offense. Arizona’s No. 3 hitter and No. 4 hitter both went four-on-two on the day. Bill scored three runs, drove in one and stole two bases. Stewart added five RBIs. Both of her hits allowed extra bases.
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Stewart’s double came from Bill at first base. Serenity Tris Second in the bottom of the sixth inning. Arizona State trailed Nevada 7-5 and won the game while running out of hits.
Stewart hit a long fly ball to midfield. It didn’t have enough power to get out, but it was up to the wall. Tris didn’t study well, so she set off late. As the two approached third base and the assistant coach, Bill followed Lauren Lappin Trying to give different instructions to each of them.
“I said, ‘Come on, Biddy, come on!'” Bill said. “Yelling after her, not touching her because I knew I was going to get out or something. Then I ran up to third and Biddy was about to leave and I saw Rapp texting. I was right behind her and Rapp said, ‘Stay, Taylor!’ I was like, I can’t even stop. I was going full speed. And then I was like, OK, Biddy’s out, and I’m out. And the catcher, two guys running up to her, it’s kind of funny because I told her, I’m right behind, you better go, because I got a cleat on her leg.”
The ball did, in fact, beat the Bills, but the oncoming run caused the Nevada catcher to lose the ball. Both are safe. The game was tied and Stewart stood on second base to give Grace Jenkins A runner in scoring position.
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Jenkins hit a single to score Stewart and give the Wildcats the lead. Keith Lucas Added another RBI to provide insurance for the team.
It was enough, but just barely. Adams circled around again in the top of the seventh inning trying to maintain the lead. With one out, she struck out the second batter. Then one single put two on and one came out. Another single loaded the base.
The defense, while not as solid as Lowe would have liked, had plenty of success. A grounder by Bill started the double play and ended the game. Bill passed the ball to Trice who was lying on his stomach, and Trice passed the ball to Lucas first.
“Me and Biddy, you saw us celebrating because right before that, we said we wanted to hit a doubleheader this season,” Beal said. “So it’s another double play in our record books, which is exciting … in any situation, but especially in a tight situation like this. Like we told Jalen, we’ve got your back, don’t do too much. You just want to do too much and we get you.”
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It was not a comfortable game for either team. Arizona took the lead in the first inning on Stewart’s two-run homer, but Nevada cut the lead in half in the top of the second inning.
Being one point behind seemed to galvanize the Wolf Pack. A walk and a fielder’s choice with no outs recorded allowed two runners on in the top of the third inning. The first of three runs was scored on a fielding error by Lucas at first base. Two consecutive singles led to two runs, giving Nevada a 4-3 lead.
Arizona regained the lead in the bottom half of the fourth quarter with a hit and two Wolfpack errors. In the first half of the sixth inning, the situation turned in Nevada’s favor. A two-run homer and RBI single gave the visitors their second three-run inning. They are now led by two men.
That’s when Arizona State fought back with its biggest run, scoring four runs in the bottom of the sixth.
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Both Beal and Stewart spent considerable time with the Nevada players and coaching staff after the game. For Stewart, that includes a lengthy reunion with Nevada’s head coach Victoria Haywardwho helped get her started in college softball.
“It’s really cool,” Stewart said. “Coach Vick was my old hitting coach when I was at Washington and she really helped me with my mentality as a hitter and as a player. So it was really cool to go against her.”
