No. 23 Wildcats finish perfect weekend at Hillenbrand Invitational with another walk-off win

This is the Wildcats’ 22nd time sweeping the event in 28 tournaments, as well as their first sweep since 2021. UA is now 138-8 in the tournament all-time.

“Anytime we get to play at home in front of our fans, I think we have a big advantage,” Arizona coach Caitlin Lowe said.

UA’s bat remained hot throughout the weekend, averaging 12 hits, 6.8 RBIs and 1.1 home runs per contest.

Senior outfielder Jasmine Perezchica led the Wildcats (16-1) over the six games, logging 10 hits and three RBIs.

In an 18-hour period, Perezchica hit two walkoff singles — one coming in a 10-9, 14-inning thriller against Indiana on Saturday, where she also piled up four hits — and the other to take down Central Michigan on Sunday afternoon to secure the tournament sweep.

“I just think she’s keeping it simple and playing her game,” Lowe said following the nine-inning 5-4 victory over the Chippewas (1-9). “I think if you caught her freshman and sophomore year, she might have tried to do too much in those situations. She knows that if she can get on base, we’re going to do good things. I’m just really really proud of her for staying the course and being true to herself and playing her game. … She’s really just made the most out of her opportunities.”

Perezchica noted that she was just trying to get the job done when asked about her two clutch performances.

“Bunt, slap, just do what’s expected of me,” Perezchica said.

UA right-handed pitchers Miranda Stoddard and Aissa Silva notched a 2.16 ERA over the six games and illustrated their ability to display sustained success in the circle throughout the weekend.

This was especially demonstrated Sunday afternoon, where both Stoddard and Silva, having pitched over 15 combined innings Saturday, combined to only allow one earned run in 6⅔ innings for the come-from-behind victory.

“Miranda has been great all weekend, she’s been put into a lot of positions and same with Aissa,” Lowe said. “... Aissa was on fumes today, I mean she threw 10.1 yesterday and found a way to compete for us. … We were technically in our seven-plus game right there and we just had to figure out a way to win.”

The Wildcats will now leave Tucson for the first time this season as they get set to fly to Tuscaloosa to play in the Crimson Classic from Friday-Sunday, where they are slated to take on Northern Iowa and No. 10 Alabama twice before facing South Alabama.

Lowe believes that departing from home with not as many fans or people in the dugout supporting the team will be the team’s next challenge.

“We’re gonna have to do our speaking with our gloves and our bats and our energy that we leave on the field,” Lowe said. “That’s our next test to kinda level up our game and take it on the road and really go after some people.”

A hostile environment and getting out of their comfort zone is what Perezchica said the team expects in Tuscaloosa this upcoming week but she said that “we’ll be ready.”

<&rule>