TUCSON, Ariz. – The No. 17 Arizona Wildcats beat Michigan State in an opening day doubleheader at the Candrea Classic.
Arizona hit seven home runs across the doubleheader, led by
Devyn Netz who blasted three home runs in three consecutive at-bats in the first game.
Game 1 | No. 17 Arizona 15, Michigan State 0 (5 inn.)
The Wildcats won the first game of the day, 15-0 in five innings, against the Spartans. Arizona blasted six home runs in the opening game – Netz hit three,
Sydney Stewart had two, and
Anyssa Wild hit one.
Arizona scored seven runs in the second inning to take a commanding lead over Michigan State. Stewart led off the inning with a solo home run – her first as a Wildcat. A pair of singles from
Tayler Biehl and
Kaiah Altmeyer drove in two more runs for the Cats.
Regan Shockey added another run with a sacrifice fly and Netz hit a three-run home run to close out the inning.
The Wildcats tacked on five more runs in the third, giving Arizona a 12-0 lead. Following a pair of singles and a throwing error by Michigan State,
Logan Cole stole home to score the first run of the inning. Netz hit her second home run of the game – another three-run shot – and Stewart followed Netz with her second solo homer.
In the fourth, freshman
Anyssa Wild hit her first career home run to add two more runs for Arizona and Netz blasted her third home run of the game to score the Cats' 15th run.
Miranda Stoddard picked up the win in the circle after pitching 3.2 innings and striking out three Spartans.
Ryan Maddox made her collegiate debut and threw 1.1 innings in relief, striking out one batter.
Game 2 | No. 17 Arizona 10, Michigan State 9
Arizona beat Michigan State, 10-9, in the second game of the day. Freshman
Jenna Sniffen hit her first career home run to help the Cats win game two.
After the Spartans scored two runs in the first inning on a two-run single, Arizona put one run across in the bottom of the inning on a fielding error by the Spartans.
Michigan State hit a grand slam in the second to take a 6-1 lead over the Cats.
Arizona exploded for seven runs in the third inning to take the lead. With two outs, Stewart and Altmeyer drove in the first two runs with a pair of doubles.
Emma Kavanagh hit an RBI triple to bring the Cats within two runs. Sniffen then hit a two-run homer to help Arizona tie the game at 6-6. Cole gave the Cats the lead with an RBI single and
Dakota Kennedy drove in the seventh run of the inning with an RBI double.
The Spartans hit a two-run home run and a solo homer to regain the lead in the sixth. In the bottom of the inning, Kavanagh singled to help score Stewart and Altmeyer to give Arizona the 10-9 lead.
In the circle, Netz earned the win after pitching the final 2.0 innings. Netz struck out two batters she faced. Wright started the game and went 1.2 innings with one strikeout.
Saya Swain pitched 3.1 innings in relief for Wright, striking out three Spartans.
Up next
Arizona will play Washington at 5 p.m. MST and Western Michigan at 7 p.m. MST on Friday, Feb. 7 on day two of the Candrea Classic.
