Arizona’s seemingly out-of-this-world start to the 2023 softball season has come down earth just a tad in week two of the young season, with the 10th-ranked Wildcats falling twice Friday, 2-1 to Texas A&M and 6-3 to Mississippi State, as part of day-two action at the TaxAct Clearwater Invitational in Clearwater, Florida.
Despite losing three games by a total of six runs at the Florida gulf coast-area showcase — which includes a 6-4 defeat to No. 6 Florida State on Thursday — Arizona has yet to hold a lead so far at the 16-team event that also includes Alabama, Oklahoma State and Pac-12 foe UCLA among participating programs.
That’s a quick about-face after the Wildcats, now 5-3 on the season, outscored their opponents 63-6 a week ago while starting the season 5-0 as the host team for the Candrea Classic at Hillenbrand Stadium.
On Friday, the Wildcats held their first game with Texas A&M close throughout, with the matchup scoreless into the bottom of the fourth inning. After the Aggies scored once each in the fourth and fifth innings to put the Wildcats down 2-0, Arizona’s Dakota Kennedy halved that lead with a triple in the top of the seventh to drive in Kaiah Altmeyer. Texas A&M pitcher Emiley Kennedy would close the door at that point for the complete game victory.
UA pitcher Devyn Netz also went the distance in the circle for Arizona, striking out a pair while giving up just three hits over her six innings of work.
In the back-half of Arizona’s Friday double-header, the longball and a multiple-error fourth inning contributed in large part to the Wildcats’ demise.
Arizona starting pitcher Ali Blanchard and reliever Aissa Silva combined to give up three homeruns to Mississippi State, while Sydney Somerndike’s turn in the circle in the game’s middle innings ended up snakebitten by a pair of fourth-inning errors that contributed to two more Bulldogs runs.
Arizona’s scoring on the day came by way of a bases loaded walk in the second inning by Blaise Biringer, and RBI triples by Dakota Kennedy (third inning) and Paige Dimler (seventh).
Arizona’s road in Clearwater doesn’t appear to be any easier come Saturday. The Wildcats face No. 8 Virginia Tech at 5 p.m., with the game broadcast via ESPN+.
