The ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Wildcats (5-0) started their 50th season as a program on a high note, sweeping the Candrea Classic, all in run-rule victories, for the second straight season.
“I think when we show up and we play good, gritty softball and we have all 20 clicking on all cylinders we’re tough to beat,†ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ head coach Caitlin Lowe said Sunday following an 8-0 victory over Northern Colorado to close out the first of three home multi-team events in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ over the Wildcats’ first three weeks of the 2024 season.
Sophomore catcher Olivia DiNardo led the UA throughout the series, logging seven hits, six RBIs and two home runs in 11 at-bats.
“She’s a worker,†Lowe said of DiNardo. “She’s a hitter. She’s a pure hitter. She loves it, she works at it, she knows when she’s feeling off, and she puts in extra time to get better. When she had a weakness last year, the moment she left for summer ball — and she actually played in the summer, too — she went right to work on the weakness and said that you’re not going to beat me that way this year.
“I think that mentality keeps her at the top of her game and if she keeps that work ethic and just always wanting to be the best all the time, I think she’s gonna be in good shape.â€
Throughout the weekend, ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ averaged 8.1 hits, 7.4 RBIs and 1.6 home runs per game.
Sophomore outfielder Dakota Kennedy said new hitting coach Josh Bloomer has, so far, helped the team early by playing to the Wildcat players’ strengths and taking time to individually understand them as hitters.
Despite being down three pitchers to start the season, the UA’s pitching staff, made up of four players, had close to as good a start as could have been imagined. The Wildcats only surrendered one run in 26 innings.
This pitching showcase was highlighted by senior Ali Blanchard and freshman Brooke Mannon, who together recorded the 10th perfect game, and first combined perfect game, in program history on Friday night against Lipscomb.
Lowe mentioned that new pitching coach Christian Conrad’s preparation for this year’s pitching staff has been “fantastic†and that his plan has helped the staff flourish so far this season.
“He’s been great,†Lowe said about Conrad. “We’re using all four (pitchers) that we have healthy right now and each of them knows their role and is put into a position to be successful. … It’s just a true testament to (Conrad’s) plan and how that’s working.â€
ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥, which finished with the second-best fielding percentage in the nation (.985) last season, continued its dominance in the field, not committing an error in the first five contests.
“We talk a lot about trying to be smothering on defense and really play defensive aggressively,†Lowe said. I think the defense was the one thing that was consistent all weekend, and it was nice to see that not skip a beat, and they’ve really done a nice job communicating too because we’ve had a lot of different combinations, but they’ve kind of just stepped in and handled it really well.â€
Sophomore right fielder Kaiah Altmeyer mentioned after the game that the team read a book called “Legacy†by James Kerr, where in a chapter, it talked about having a great defense. She believes that her team has lived by it.
“(We’re) just not giving up,†Altmeyer said. “Just be everywhere, don’t let the ball drop, be aggressive.â€
It appears evident even through just five games that having a season under their belts has helped sophomores Kennedy, DiNardo and Altmeyer, Tayler Biehl and Logan Cole become more consistent contributors for the UA. The five sophomore Wildcats contributed 57% of the team’s RBIs (20 of 37) and 50% of its home runs (four of eight).
“Just knowing what that top competition looks like going through a year of conference, playing high-level competition, you just approach ... every game a little bit differently. You understand how much each win matters. And really, they do a better job this year of slowing themselves down in the moment.
“I’ve been very pleased with (the sophomores) and I hope they don’t settle for where they’re at right now.â€
Although a successful week, Lowe was not thrilled with her team’s performance in the last game of the tournament on Sunday, noting that the team “didn’t show up†and wants more consistency moving forward.
“When we don’t show up, 1-20, we are beatable,†Lowe said. “So for me, it’s just being able to be that consistent team every single day, then we can handle whatever comes at us.
“So that’s our challenge for this week and I want us to get better going into next weekend.â€
Up next for the Wildcats: ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ faces Long Beach State (0-4) in a doubleheader (5 p.m. and 7 p.m.) Thursday to open the Bear Down Fiesta, which also features Arkansas and Omaha at Hillenbrand Stadium.
Photos: Day three of the Candrea Classic, ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ wins in a run-rule shutout against North Texas
Photos: Day Two of the Candrea Classic, University of ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ softball
Photos: ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ softball opens 2024 season with a 9-1 run-rule win over Utah Tech
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ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ catcher Olivia DiNardo (26) is greeted by her Wildcat teammates as she crossed the plate at after a home run in the Wildcats’ win over North Texas on Day 3 of the Candrea Classic on Saturday at Hillenbrand Stadium.
ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ relief pitcher Brooke Mannon (15) warms up before facing the North Texas lineup in the fifth inning on day three of the Candrea Classic at Hillenbrand Stadium on Saturday in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥.
Utah Tech's third baseman Drew McKown (33) can’t get a glove on the throw as ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥'s Blaise Biringer (30) slides into the bag in the fifth inning on a single by Emily Schepp in the Wildcats’ season opener at Hillenbrand Stadium Thursday in the Candrea Classic. Biringer ended up scoring on the error what turned out to be the final run in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥â€™s run-rule 9-1 win.