Sydney Stewart hit a game-winning three-run home run in the bottom of the fifth inning to put Arizona in front to stay as the Wildcats beat Iowa State 6-3 in the Big XII Tournament Semifinals on Friday in Oklahoma City. Arizona advances to play top seed Texas Tech, who eliminated Arizona State 18-0 in the other semifinal.
Iowa State took a 2-0 lead in the top of the second inning on a two-run HR by Karlee Ford. Arizona tied the game in the bottom of the third on a two-run single from Big XII Player of the Year Devyn Netz. Iowa State regained the lead in the top of the fourth on a HR by Angelina Allen.
Arizona answered in the bottom of the fourth with a sacrifice fly by Jenna Sniffen that scored Kaiah Altmeyer. The HR by Stewart was set up by a leadoff walk from Paige Dimler in the bottom of the fifth inning. Dakota Kennedy followed with a bunt single. Regan Shockey sacrificed Dimler and Kennedy to second and third.
Stewart then hit the no-doubt HR to left to score Dimler and Kennedy and put Arizona up 6-3. Netz and Stewart each had two hits to lead Arizona offensively. Netz started and pitched the five innings, allowing all three Iowa State runs on five hits with a walk and three strikeouts.
Netz returned to the circle in the seventh after Saya Swain walked consecutive batters after getting a strikeout to begin the seventh. After a sacrifice bunt for the second out of the inning, Jessie Clemons flew out to left field for the final out, advancing to the Big XII Tournament Championship game.
Aissa Silva allowed a hit to the one batter she faced in the sixth before being relieved by Swain. Swain pitched 1.1 innings, allowing two walks with two strikeouts, before Netz got the final two outs for the win. Arizona and Texas Tech play in the Big XII Tournament Championship Game on Saturday at 9 AM Mountain Standard Time on ESPN.