ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ softball followed up a back-and-forth win over a rival with a run rule win over a ranked foe to finished the Judi Garman Classic 5-0 and extend their win streak to seven.
No. 10 ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ (21-2) has won 19 of their last 20 with the only loss in that span coming in extra innings against then No. 1 Texas.
On Sunday, ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ closed out the tournament at Cal State Fullerton with an 11-3 six-inning win over No. 23 San Diego State. The ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ are 5-1 against ranked opponents and won three of the five games at the Judi Garman Classic by run rule.
In the opening inning, the ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ struck first with an RBI double by senior pitcher/infielder Devyn Netz. In the top of the second the Aztecs responded with a 2-run homer.
However, in the bottom of the second, ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ scored seven runs. Junior infielder Tayler Biehl drove in a run, then junior utility Kaiah Altmeyer hit a 2-RBI double.
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Junior utility Sydney Stewart hit an RBI double, senior outfielder Paige Dimler drew a bases loaded walk and sophomore Emily Schepp drove in two runs on a single.
The ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ softball team holds up Kaiah Altmeyer (24) after its 9-1 run rule win over Alabama in the fifth inning on Feb. 8, 2025.
In the fifth inning, San Diego State hit a solo home run.
Schepp hit a solo dinger in the sixth, her second game in a row with a home run. Biehl then scored on an error and Netz finished off the Aztecs with an RBI single.
Graduate student Miranda Stoddard started the SDSU game, going 2 innings, giving up two earned runs on two hits and no walks while striking out two. Freshman Ryan Maddox relieved her, pitching 2 2/3 innings giving up an earned run, a hit and a walk but striking out three.
Graduate student Saya Swain (3-1) got the win, pitching 1 1/3 innings, giving up no hits, walks or runs while striking out 2.
In the night cap on Saturday, ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ beat No. 4 UCLA 9-8 in 10 innings after a walk-off sac fly from Altmeyer.
In the 10th, the Bruins went ahead 8-6 on a two-run home run but ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ scored three runs in the bottom of the 10th. Schepp hit a two-run pinch-hit homer to tie it up at 8-8.
Altmeyer and sophomore utility player Regan Shockey both were 3-for-4 and four ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ had two RBIs.
ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥â€™s Devyn Netz (34) celebrates after sending the ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ into the second inning during the game against Alabama in the Candrea Classic softball tournament, Mike Candrea Field, Feb. 8, 2025.
The ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ jumped ahead 2-0 in the first inning after Netz hit an RBI double and Dimler drove in a run on a single. However, UCLA tied it up with a bases loaded walk and a sacrifice fly in the fourth.
Then in the seventh inning, the Bruins hit a three-run home run to take a 5-2 lead. The ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ responded with a two-run single from Stewart and a sac fly from Netz hit to force extra innings.
In the ninth, UCLA added another score on an error and again the UA tied it up with an RBI single from Altmeyer.
Netz (8-1) earned the win after pitching 10 innings, striking out 7 and giving up 6 earned runs on 4 walks and 8 hits.
In the first game on Saturday, the ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ beat Notre Dame 7-1. Stewart went 2-for-3 and with 3 RBIs and Shockey led the team with 3 hits.
Netz started the scoring in the first with an RBI single and then UA scored four more in the second, including a two-run single from Stewart.
The Fighting Irish hit a solo home run in the sixth but Stewart responded with a solo homer of her own. She has 8 round trippers this season after hitting 7 her first two seasons, at Washington.
Stoddard (5-0) picked up the win, going four innings, striking out four and not giving up a run. Junior Aissa Silva pitched a scoreless fifth inning and Swain pitched the final two frames, giving up one hit and run while striking out five.
On Friday night, the ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ beat the tournament host Cal State Fullerton 12-1 in five innings, their second run rule win over the Titans this season.
UA scored nine runs in the second inning.
Altmeyer and freshman infielder Jenna Sniffen each hit a two-run doubles and junior infielder Logan Cole and Netz drove a runs.
Then in the third Netz hit another RBI since and as did Altmeyer followed by Shockey in the fourth.
Stoddard pitched a complete game, allowing one run on four hits.
ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ also beat Fullerton 10-1 in five innings and 5-1 in the Bear Down Fiesta in February.
UA opened the tournament with 13-3 run rule win over Weber State in five innings on Friday night. The ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ scored nine runs in the first two innings but the Weber State ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ scored three in the bottom of the fifth.
Dimler went 4-for-4 and had 2 RBIs. Six ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ had two or more hits, including Stoddard, who led the team in RBIs with 3.
Dimler and Stoddard each had triples in the first as ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ scored four runs in the initial inning.
Then in the second UA scored five more, with the first three coming off Weber State errors. Dimler drove in a run and freshman utility Emma Kavanagh hit an RBI sacrifice fly, her second of the game.
Maddox (2-0) got the win, pitching 4 2/3 innings, striking out six.
ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ opens up conference play on Friday when they host UCF (17-7-1) for a three-game series. At 1-1 all-time, UCF is the only Big 12 opponent that the UA doesn’t have a winning record against.
Extra bases
The ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ have won 10 games by the mercy rule, three in the Judi Garman Classic, three at the Candrea Classic, two during the Bear Down Fiesta and two at the Hillenbrand Invitational.
ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ improved to 127-54 in the Judi Garman Classic. Their first appearance in the Judi Garman Classic was 1984 and their most recent was 2015.
The ÃÛÁÄÖ±²¥ are 15-2 at home, 1-0 on the road and 4-0 in neutral site games.
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