Arizona tied a school record for most run-rule wins in a row with eight straight, but what the Wildcats are taking the most pride in is the incremental successes.
The No. 14 Wildcats (20-5, 3-0 Big 12) outscored BYU in every inning in the three-game series except for four frames where neither team scored. In terms of runs, UA won 37-4.
“I thought the coolest thing of the whole weekend and correct me if I'm wrong, but I thought we won every single inning of the entire series,” said UA head coach Caitlin Lowe. “So even when they put up runs, we put up just as many or more. So I think that was a big deal for us that if they punch, we're going to punch right down and make a statement and they really took it to heart in those first innings — when BYU scored, they came back and set the tone.”
Arizona’s Sydney Stewart comes home to the crowd at the plate after knocking a two-run homer, putting the Wildcats up 11-1 in the first inning against BYU in their Big 12 season opener in Tucson on March 5, 2026. Stewart had already plated three RBIs earlier in the first on a double.
UA has beaten Eastern Illinois, Long Beach State twice, Minnesota, Howard and BYU three times by the run rule. All eight of those were just five innings each.
“It's not necessarily about games, but it's about like the game within the game, right?” said UA senior utility Grace Jenkins. “And so when they're able to put two runs in on the first inning, like, OK, we respond with five.
“But that's huge and I think when we think inning by inning, that's the most important thing.”
The other time UA has won eight in a row by the mercy rule was 2014, when it beat UNLV, UTEP twice, Longwood, Valparaiso, Indiana and Ball State twice.
On Saturday, Arizona beat BYU (5-17, 0-3) 16-3 to secure the sweep to open Big 12 play.
BYU took an early lead when sophomore utility Ilove'a Brittingham hit a two-run home run in the first inning. However, Arizona responded with runs like an RBI single by senior infielder Tayler Biehl and a three-run homer from sophomore infielder Jenna Sniffen.
Arizona batter Jenna Sniffen (33) takes a breath before stepping into the box against BYU in their Big 12 season opener in Tucson on March 5, 2026.
In the second inning, UA added six more runs, starting when junior utility Regan Shockey scored on a wild pitch. Then senior utility Sydney Stewart hit a two-run homer, though it was a pitch after Shockey’s score, depriving Stewart of an RBI.
Then, junior outfielder Tele Jennings hit an RBI double and sophomore infielder Anyssa Wild hit a two-run two-bagger.
In the fourth, BYU tacked on a run, however, UA responded with five runs in the bottom of the inning, including an RBI single by sophomore utility Emma Kavanagh, a Shockey RBI single and a two-run single by Biehl.
Biehl had seven RBIs over the three-game series.
Senior pitcher Jalen Adams (11-3) got the win. She said long waits while her teammates light up the scoreboard actually helps her.
“Taking it pitch by pitch is what I really try to do and when you got some insurance runs, it's a little easier to pitch out there,” Adams said. “So I usually do a couple arm circles in the dugout if I need to, but yeah, stay loose.”
Sophomore Sarah Wright relieved her in the fifth with runners on first and second, no outs but got a fielder’s choice, a strikeout and line out to finish off the game.
Wright had an 8.04 ERA going into Saturday’s game.
The Wildcats got the series win on Friday when they topped the Cougars 8-0.
Arizona got on the board in the first with an RBI double by Biehl.
Arizona infielder Tayler Biehl (2) eyes a hopper from BYU batter Maddie Udall-Woolley that turned into a fielder’s choice during the second inning in their Big 12 season opener, March 5, 2026, in Tucson.
Then, in the third, the Wildcats scored six runs, starting with an RBI triple by sophomore infielder Sereniti Trice. Then Biehl knocked in another run, and then Wild and sophomore outfielder Addison Duke each hit two-RBI singles.
Freshman pitcher Rylie Holder (7-1) got the win after pitching three innings, but left the game after getting struck by a ball that knocked her mask off.
“Honestly, she looks really good and we're just gonna take it day by day and see how she's doing, but I walked in and I'm like, ‘you look great,’” Lowe said on Saturday. “But she was feeling good last night.”
On Thursday, the Wildcats opened the series with a 13-1 win over BYU.
The Cougars struck first with a run off a double from sophomore utility Hailey Shuler in the first inning. However, the Wildcats responded with 11 runs in the home half of the first.
Stewart got UA the lead with a bases-clearing double with three runners on. Then Duke hit a two-run single, and Shockey got an RBI single.
Trice hit an RBI single, and then Biehl drove her in with a double. Stewart then capped off the inning with a two-run home run.
In the second, Trice hit an RBI single. She went 3 for 3 on the day, and Stewart led the team with five RBIs.
Adams recovered from the one-hit, one-run first to give up no hits or runs. Sophomore Jenae Berry pitched the fifth, only giving up a walk.
Lowe said the UA pitchers were great this weekend.
“I think I especially love the response after Rylie went down, just like getting back to work and having her back, I think that was huge,” Lowe said on Saturday. “I loved Sarah coming in and closing that out and just being herself. I saw a little fist pump, which is so her.
“But yeah, I think Jalen, obviously a dog, I mean, she just went to work this weekend, and she's just a competitor and just went right at them.
“So it's exciting and now we have, you know, a new exciting challenge this weekend.”
Up next for the Wildcats is a trip to No. 2 Texas Tech (25-1, 3-0).
Extra bases
– Salpointe Catholic alumnae and BYU junior Gianna Mares (3-5) took the loss in the series opener, giving up 11 earned runs over two-thirds of an inning. On Saturday, she came in during the first inning to get two outs and stop the bleeding after Arizona had scored five runs off the starter.
She would go on to give up six runs over one full inning in her second outing against the Wildcats this year, though. Wild, who also went to Salpointe, drove in two of those runs on Saturday.
– Arizona is 17-3 at home, 2-0 in road games and 1-2 in neutral games.
