Arizona’s stellar pitching fueling unexpected NCAA Tournament run | Arizona Wildcats softball

That’s exactly what Arizona Wildcats is aiming to reach for the third consecutive year in the Women’s College World Series.

Wildcats, who participated in the post-season play, had three consecutive great pitches, with Team ERA playing 3.98, the penultimate play on the Pac-12, but allowing three consecutive runs in 21 innings. The performance dominated the Columbia Regional.

Hana Bowen and Devin Nets defeated Illinois 8-3 on Friday and then shut out on the weekend, defeating 15 Missouri seeds in a row. Arizona put Bowen in the circle on Saturday to win 2-0 and Sunday to beat the Tigers 1-0 to punch a ticket to Super Regional.

Nets allowed just two hits with the clincher in her first post-season pitching look.

“Many things ran through my head,” Netz said. “But I know I’m in the best condition just by going outside and attacking.”

Wildcats (36-20) will be heading to Mississippi this week, with Super Regional starting at 9am Friday and 1pm Saturday, both games playing at ESPNU. The game in which the third winner wins everything will be played at the time determined on Sunday, if necessary.

If Wildcats goes to the 25th WCWS, they need to put all the pieces together for two consecutive weeks.

Arizona coach Caitlin Lowe said, “We are excited” about what UA needs to do in Starkville. “We have a great defense and then a big hit.”

What made UA’s regional sweeps so unique and unexpected was that their pitching often lags behind the hits of the year.Arizona ranked in the top 10 home runs nationwide, but lost twice as many Pac-12 games as the last draw at a nine-team meeting.

This was mainly due to the Arizona pitching staff having a hard time finding unity. Bowen entered this year with high expectations as the team’s top starter, following the 2021 breakout postseason.

He allowed his career’s best seven runs in his home game with Kentucky on February 19, and didn’t pitch again until March 4, when he was injured and out. During her absence, Nets filled in as a reliable starter and gave up only five runs in 21 innings during that span.

“Devin has done so much power throughout the season,” Rowe said.

Bowen returned to abandon less than three runs in six consecutive appearances, but Pac-12 began playing in late March when both pitchers ran into their respective problems. be. Perhaps it was a change of self-confidence or a horrifying meeting schedule, probably a combination of the two.

In any case, either Bowen or Netz joined the circle during the team’s eight consecutive defeats and started the meeting schedule.

“It was very difficult this year,” Rowe said.

Things seemed to be around the corner in April, but it was filled with a two-step forward, one-step backward approach. Bowen lowered ERA from 4.56 on April 15th to 4.03 by the end of the month. However, it was consistent with a minor foot injury to Nets who was forced to wear walking boots on days when she did not pitch.

“This year I faced some adversity,” Netz said. “I’m fine now because I’m not wearing boots.”

When the NCAA tournament was held, Rowe felt renewed confidence in the top two pitchers given a blank slate.

“‘Bo’ came out of a bunch of fires,” Rowe said. “I always trust the ball in her hand.”

Bowen beat Illinois and Missouri, throwing a total of 244 balls. On Saturday, she was the first to throw a complete game at a Power Five school without allowing her to run.

“I think it was just about having great energy there,” Bowen said. “Everyone is in attendance and you are ready to chase it.”

And when it was time to turn to Nets in the Regional Finals, Rowe was undoubtedly giving Nets the start of her first NCAA tournament in the biggest game of the season.

“I’m very proud of how Devin and she competed in the circle,” Rowe said. “I knew she would get her job done and she would give us a chance to win.”

With as good a pitching staff as all seasons, there’s no reason to believe that Wildcats won’t have a chance to return to WCWS, taking two out of three against another SEC opponent.

“This game is crazy, and sometimes it’s one pitch,” Rowe said.