Hanah Bowen is finally starting to feel like sheβs in her groove.
Itβs hasnβt been easy for the Arizona ace. She took some time away from the Wildcats, came back, was out again, and now is back β and hopefully for good.
The fifth-year senior put up one of her best performances of the season Sunday, giving up three hits while striking out five and walking two in a 9-1, run-rule-shortened win over Oregon State in Corvallis.
Arizona (21-14, 2-10 Pac-12) will host No. 17 Oregon (24-11, 4-8 Pac-12) in a three-game series that starts Thursday at Hillenbrand Stadium. The first game of the series will be shown on ESPN2.
Bowen blamed "personal reasons from back home" for her first early-season departure. Then she was forced to miss the Wildcats' Pac-12 series at UCLA after being involved in a car accident.
βIt was a struggle for me β very challenging. Just stopping and going, stopping and going But like I said, the mentality that I have, you just got to keep pushing through because thatβs life,β Bowen said.
Bowenβs life as an ace is a relatively new one. For the first time, opponents are focusing on, studying and preparing for her. Bowen pitched just 22 times in her first three seasons as a Wildcat; last season, she pitched 21 times, serving as the teamβs No. 1 starter as the Wildcats pushed their way into the Womenβs College World Series.
UA pitching coach Taryne Mowatt-McKinney, a former ace herself, said the role is βexhausting mentally.β Add to this the other issues Bowen has endured, and itβs easy to understand how hard this season has been.
βItβs been tough because when you are in and out you feel a little bit disconnected. Especially (because) sheβs the one in practice that just randomly will say a joke under her breath and itβs hilarious. She knows how to have fun but work hard, and sheβs super competitive,β Mowatt-McKinney said. ββ¦ Itβs just keeping her engaged and then thereβs times you know when youβre not able to pitch β¦you feel like you want to be in there and you donβt want to let your teammates down.β
Mowatt-McKinney says she has noticed an improved mindset from Bowen in the last few weeks. If Arizonaβs ace doesnβt have her best stuff, sheβll find a way. This seems to have made all the difference on Sunday.
βShe gives up the solo shot home run β the feeling on the field that starts in the circle was like, βOK next batter, come on. Like, we have a lead.β It wasnβt like the weight of the world was on her,β Mowatt-McKinney said. βShe did a really good job of coming back getting the next hitter. β¦ She just has to interact with her fielders and let them know like, βHey, I got you, you got me. This is a team thing. And if I give up a hit, we all get the hit if I get a strikeout, we all get a strikeout. Itβs not one person doing the job. Itβs all of us.β β¦ I think thatβs whatβs going to help us in this last half.β
Bowen has leaned on her coaches and her teammates to help her get through a difficult time. She said they had her back.
UA coach Caitlin Lowe was happy to hear it.
βI think early on, she felt like she had to do it all by herself and thatβs daunting,β Lowe said. βYou feel like youβre on this island on the mound. Our hitters were kind of feeling that way, too. And I think that was the first time Sunday where she says, βYou know, I have a role and Iβm going to do the best at my role for the good of this team.β And when youβre taking care of your own business instead of worrying about the big picture at the same time, I think thatβs when the pressure comes off and you can you just play softball.β