Arizona’s Hanah Bowen and Devyn Netz each achieved one complete-game victory during the 53-game regular season, but they have combined for that feat in all five of the Wildcats’ postseason games by overcoming challenges with the help of an impeccable defense.
Bowen and Netz are a combined 5-0 with a 1.17 ERA in the postseason with a defense behind them that has only one error in 36 innings against Illinois, Missouri and Mississippi State.
The result is Arizona’s 25th trip to the Women’s College World Series, starting Thursday at Oklahoma City as an unseeded team against No. 7 Oklahoma State. This is a historic achievement for the underdog Wildcats (38-20) inasmuch as they are the school’s first team with a .500 or lower conference record (they finished 8-16 this season) to earn a trip to the WCWS.
Arizona pitchers Devyn Netz (left) and Hanah Bowen have combined for an impressive 1.17 ERA in five postseason victories (Dan Netz/Special to AllSportsTucson.com)
The 12-12 team in 2012 advanced to the Super Regionals, losing at Oklahoma in two games, and the 9-15 team in 2013 lost in the regional round with two losses to Baylor at the College Station (Texas A&M) Regional.
Arizona, in its third straight WCWS appearance, also increased the program’s remarkable unbeaten streak in the regional round and Super Regionals to 15 games dating to 2019.
“I believe that our pitching is feeding into our defense and our defense into our offense,” Arizona coach Caitlin Lowe said. “I think we’re pretty dangerous when that happens.”
Arizona’s defense has recorded 85 outs via the ground or flyouts (other than the 23 combined strikeouts by Bowen and Netz) this postseason and only one fielding error has occurred by right fielder Paige Dimler. That happened Saturday in the second inning against Mississippi State, allowing a baserunner to advance to second base off a single.
The Wildcats’ fielding percentage in the postseason is .991 (108 putouts with one error). They are at .965 this season (1,085 putouts and 55 errors).
Caitlin Lowe yesterday said Arizona might stay in Starkville today but it’s off to OKC for another valuable extended stay. https://t.co/JtDMgwnFJO
— Javier Morales (@JavierJMorales) May 29, 2022
The sound defense is becoming a staple of this group with Arizona setting a school record last year with only 25 errors while finishing with the second-best fielding percentage in program history (.981).
Arizona turned three double plays against Mississippi State in Saturday’s 7-1 victory after converting only 15 in the previous 57 games this season. In other words — three double plays in three consecutive innings occurred Saturday after Arizona turned only 15 in the 354 2/3 innings beforehand (about once every 24 innings).
“I would say it is extremely hard because this game is so quick,” Netz said when asked about the …….