Arizona softball gets 2 wins on 2nd day of the Mary Nutter Classic

Arizona softball didn’t have the opening day it might have liked at the Mary Nutter Classic, but the Wildcats rebounded on day two with wins over Bethune-Cookman and UC Davis. UA defeated BCU by a score of 8-1 in the early game then returned to defeat UCD 3-0.

Sophomore right-hander Jessie Fontes got the start against the Wildcats of BCU and struck out seven. She gave up five hits, one walk, and one unearned run in seven innings to record the first win of her career.

Arizona’s offense was prolific. The Wildcats had 14 hits including a home run by designated player Sharlize Palacios. Carlie Scupin, Allie Skaggs, and Izzy Pacho tied with a game-high three hits apiece. Scupin led the game with three RBI.

It was a closer contest for freshman pitcher Madi Elish in the late game. She gave up five hits to the Aggies and struck out two. Her four innings without a run gave her the first win of her career, improving her record to 1-1.

Sophomore Devyn Netz relieved Elish in the top of the fifth after the younger pitcher gave up two straight singles. Netz inherited two on with no outs, but it didn’t faze her.

Netz recorded three outs on four pitches to end the threat. A double play started by Pacho at third kept the Wildcats ahead 2-0.

Netz gave up no hits and struck out two in her three innings of work, including the final batter. Twenty-two of her 28 pitches were strikes.

Aggies pitchers Taylor Fitzgerald and Kenedi Brown were almost as effective as the Arizona duo. Fitzgerald gave up six hits and two earned runs over four innings. Brown surrendered two more hits and one earned run in two innings.

Almost half of the hits given up by UCD’s pitchers were the work of Jasmine Perezchica. The Wildcats’ left fielder had three hits against the Aggies to improve her batting average to .500 after 13 games.

Skaggs, Scupin, and Sophia Carroll each accounted for one RBI. Skaggs and Scupin are tied for second on the team with 15 RRI each this season.

Arizona will finish its schedule at the Mary Nutter Classic with a huge increase in competition level at 11 a.m. Saturday morning as they face top-ranked Oklahoma. The game will be streamed on FloSoftball which requires a subscription.