Devyn Netz does it all in circle, at the plate to lead Arizona softball to 9-0 win over CSUN

When Devyn Netz gets in her groove — look out.

Netz was dealing in the circle Sunday; she started off with five consecutive strikeouts.

Then, her bat came alive as she drove in three runs — two on a home run to dead center field.

She did it all for Arizona on Sunday — including fielding the final out — to close out the Hillenbrand Invitational with a 9-0 win in five innings over Cal State Northridge.

The Wildcats improve to 15-6 and opens Pac-12 play next weekend with a three-game series at ASU.

“Devyn responded in a huge way today especially and made really good adjustments — when to throw certain pitches where they needed to be, everything,” Arizona coach Caitlin Lowe said. “She just came out on fire and she took the game over and didn’t give it back, which I think was the biggest thing and that always helps our offense.”

The Wildcats took Saturday’s 10-3 loss to Nebraska to heart. It was their only loss of the weekend.

Netz (7-5) pitched a complete game three-hitter, striking out six and walking none. She enticed eight ground outs. She lowered her ERA to 1.91.

“(I was) just trying to do the little things,” the junior ace said. “I didn’t execute yesterday and we’re working on expanding my zone when I have two strikes and knowing that I don’t have to go in every for every pitch is a strike. I can expand my zone and I can make them swing at my pitch.”

And swing CSUN did. Netz sat the Matadors down 1, 2, 3 in four out of five innings. Of her 59 pitches 40 were strikes.

At the plate, the ball looked big for Netz as she went 2 for 3. She wasn’t the only Wildcat who was in rhythm. Freshman Olivia DiNardo, who was at DH for this one, went 2 for 2, and drove in two-runs on a double in the bottom of the fourth. She is leading all Wildcats with a .528 batting average.

“I didn’t see a lot of pitches this weekend, so when I got a pitch I could hit, I just locked in and tried to move runners along,” DiNardo said.

Also on display was Arizona’s added approach this year — playing small ball or passing the bat and moving teammates along. This was evident in the first inning when the Wildcats put up five runs, all coming on singles and a walk that brought in a runner.

“I think at first we kind of underestimated it,” Netz said. “And right now, we’re learning the importance of what it means to truly ‘pass a bat,’ which is like talking to your teammates after every at-bat. Saying ‘Hey, this is what I saw. This is the pitch.’”

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In the fourth inning, Blaise Biringer started it off with an infield single, Carlie Scupin hit a double to left center field. DiNardo’s double bounced off the left center field wall to bring home Biringer and Scupin.

In the first, it was Biringer (2 for 3) again getting on base to kick start it all. She was hit by a pitch. Scupin knocked a single to right field followed by a single to left from DiNardo. With the bases loaded, Allie Skaggs walked in a run. Netz followed with an rbi single down the left field line to score Scupin and give UA a 2-0 lead.

CSUN pulled the starting pitcher, Riley Wickum at this point and replaced her with Lauryn Carranco.

Izzy Pacho hit one to centerfield driving in DiNardo and Skaggs scored on a fielding error to give UA a 4-0 lead.

Freshman Tayler Biehl hit a sac fly to right field to right field to scored Netz for the final run of the inning.

“I think when they don’t try to make the game too big, we become really good hitters,” Lowe said. They pass information back-and-forth to each other. They know what they’re hunting, and the next person goes up and does it. I think it says a lot when your teammate looks you in the eye and says, ‘Go hit this pitch.’ You’re like, ‘Yes, I will go hit that pitch.’ When we’re connected like that, it’s hard to defend us.”

Extra Hits

Arizona was efficient, scoring nine runs on 10 hits.

The Matadors used three pitchers, who combined to throw 99 pitches.

Four Wildcats went 2 for 3: Netz, DiNardo, Pacho and Scupin.

In the top of the fifth, Arizona executed its seventh double play of the season.

“I was fired up at the double plays because we didn’t used to turn as many double plays and now as soon as the ball is hit off the bat, they know what’s happening. They have confidence in it and it’s not if but when we’re going to do it,” Lowe said.