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Arizona softball players (l-r) Sina Talataina, Emma Kavanagh, Grace Jenkins, Sydney Stewart, and Sereniti Trice | Photo courtesy of Arizona Athletics
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The last day of an early season tournament can often be a time to give different players some time on the field. That and an illness suffered by Arizona centerfielder Regan Shockey led to some shuffling of the lineup for the Wildcats. The end result was still a 8-0 win in six innings over Creighton in the final game of the Bear Down Fiesta.
With Shockey out, second baseman Sereniti Trice moved up in the order to leadoff. After batting third in both games on Saturday, Tayler Biehl moved to second. Emma Kavangh got a start behind the plate while Sydney Stewart moved to designated player. Tele Jennings got her second start since transferring to Arizona and Addison Duke moved to center for Shockey.
“It’s never a good thing, but it was nice to get Tele a start and get her some at-bats today, which felt great,” Arizona head coach Caitlin Lowe said. “Was nice to get Addy in center and kind of see just how everybody stepped up around, just that decision. Biddy leading off was great to see that. And they just kind of went to work. So it was great. It was like a next man up situation.”
Arizona used a big first inning to jump on the Bluejays, sending 11 to the plate and scoring five runs. Trice got things started with a double that barely went past first base. Biehl knocked her in with a single, then stole second to give Stewart a runner in scoring position. Stewarts double plated the second run. A triple by Kavanagh pushed two more across. Jenna Sniffen knocked in the fifth run of the inning.
As an underclassman with two senior catchers on the roster, Kavanagh doesn’t always know when her at-bats will come. Lowe said that her sophomore backstop wants any at-bats she can get. The player doesn’t care whether she’s behind the plate or the designated player.
“I show up pretty much the same every day,” Kavanagh said. “I’m a pretty, pretty out there person. And today I just was excited to get to catch Jalen. Her stuff was legit, and she just looks fantastic. And then when I DP, it’s just the same mentality of swing big, miss big if I want to.”
Biehl has steadily climbed up the lineup this year, especially this week. In her first three years, she rarely if ever hit higher than sixth. She started this season in the five spot. On Saturday, she moved into the three hole. She took another bump up with Shockey out for the day.
Biehl said that Lowe didn’t say too much about the changes when they were made.
“Just to keep doing what I’m doing,” the senior shortstop said. “They have faith in me to be moved up in the line up all over right now, and so just continuing to channel that faith that everybody has.”
Meanwhile, Jalen Adams was throwing up zeroes with the help of solid defense behind her. When she had a hiccup—like hitting the leadoff batter in the second—her defense picked her up with a double play or by throwing out an attempted base stealer.
Adams got her first full day off of the season on Saturday. Sunday, she threw all six innings without giving up a run. She allowed five baserunners on two hits, two walks, and one hit batter.
The Wildcats got two more runs in the fourth to get within a run of the run rule. They couldn’t put it away in the fifth, going down 1-2-3. Adams returned the favor in the top of the sixth by sitting down the Bluejays 1-2-3.
That gave Arizona one more chance at the run rule. It didn’t look like it was in the cards when Biehl and Stewart made two quick outs, but Grace Jenkins gave the Wildcats a baserunner with a single. Kiki Escobar went out to run for her and was moved around to third by a single off the bat of Kez Lucas.
That brought Kavanagh up to bat. The sophomore catcher/utility had several big at-bats in crucial situations over the course of the tournament. Two pinch hit home runs were the highlights, but her triple in the first showed she could do it when she was behind the plate, too. She came through again with what was ruled an RBI single but likely would have been a two-RBI double under different circumstances.
“It was just a great day to be alive, as usual,” Kavanagh. “I think our hunger was what showed on the field. Wanting it more than everybody else, no matter what happened in the at-bat before, after you, and even your own at-bat. And I think that’s just what fed me today, was being able to play the sport I love every day.”
The Wildcats get another chance to play the sport they love on Tuesday when Nevada comes to Tucson for a midweek game. First pitch is scheduled for 5 p.m. MST and the game will be streamed on ESPN+.
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