Miranda Stoddard set up Arizona with a solo home run in the fourth inning and Devyn Netz added a two-run shot as the Wildcats won 4-1 over Grand Canyon to advance to the Tucson Regional Final on Sunday versus Mississippi at 4:30 PM Mountain Standard Time.
As they have done all year, one started it for Arizona and the other finished. Stoddard pitched six innings and the first two batters of the seventh before Netz relieved her and closed the game. Netz rebounded after a rough outing earlier in the day versus Mississippi.
Arizona left two runners on base in the first and third innings before Stoddard put them ahead with the HR in the fourth. Stoddard faced the minimum nine batters, only allowing a leadoff single in the second inning that was erased by a double play.
Tayler Biehl led Arizona with two hits versus Grand Canyon to lead Arizona. Stoddard took a shutout into the sixth inning. Biehl had an RBI single down the third base line in the top of the sixth inning to extend the Arizona lead to 4-0. Grand Canyon scored its only run on an RBI single by Makaiya Gomez in the bottom of the sixth.
Willa Ford and Sydney McCray led off the bottom of the seventh inning to bring the tying run up to bat and Netz in to replace Stoddard. Netz struck out the next three batters to end the game and earn her second save of the season. Stoddard pitched six innings, allowed the one run on seven hits with a walk and three strikeouts.
Arizona has to beat Mississippi twice on Sunday to advance to the Super Regional. Mississippi beat Arizona 10-8 to advance to the regional final earlier on Saturday. Arizona had a 23-game NCAA Regional winning streak ended with the loss to Mississippi.