Arizona

Arizona again surrenders sizable late lead to UCLA, falls 6-5 in Pac-12 softball tourney semis

Published

2 years ago

May 11, 2024

Arizona again surrenders sizable late lead to UCLA, falls 6-5 in Pac-12 softball tourney semis

Déjà vu spelled disaster Friday for Arizona softball’s bid at claiming the final Pac-12 Tournament championship.

Leading 4-0 in the bottom of the fifth against top seed UCLA in the conference tournament semifinals in Stanford, California, the Bruins, ranked sixth nationally coming in, sent 12 batters to the plate and rattled off six runs in the inning — all six coming with two outs.

Arizona got one back, but UCLA held on to defeat the Wildcats 6-5; the Bruins advance to Saturday’s tourney title game, a rematch of last year’s tournament championship between UCLA (36-10) and Utah (34-19).

The sixth-seeded Utes upset second seed Stanford, this year’s tournament host and the No. 8 team nationally, 2-1 earlier in the day Friday in the other semifinal.

Less than two weeks ago, Arizona led the Bruins 7-0 in the fifth inning of a regular-season rubber match in Los Angeles. A win there would have secured a series victory for the Wildcats and, though they didn’t know it at the time, would have helped Arizona finish in third place in the Pac-12’s regular-season race.

But UCLA piled on 11 straight runs to take the game, 11-7, the series, 2-1, and quiet the Wildcats’ late-season momentum.

A win that late-April afternoon would also have given legitimacy to Arizona’s likely desire to host an NCAA regional at Hillenbrand Stadium. The top 16 seeds will host regionals, and Arizona (34-16-1) entered the weekend ranked anywhere from No. 18 to No. 22 in the major polls, and No. 23 in RPI.

This go-round, and a win Friday — let alone a chance to win the tournament crown over Utah, who the Wildcats took 2 of 3 from last month in Salt Lake City — could have had the same NCAA seeding impact for Arizona.

But in those last two games the Wildcats played against the Bruins, UCLA has outdueled Arizona by a combined score of 17-1 from the bottom of the fifth inning on, stealing both wins in the process. The Wildcats led by a combined score of 12-0 going into the bottom of the fifth of the two games.

In terms of the upcoming NCAA tournament, it’s a given the Wildcats will be back in the field this season after a one-year hiatus in 2023; the UA had been to the tournament 35 consecutive times until missing out a year ago.

Arizona and the rest of the nation will learn their NCAA fate — for the UA, that means mostly likely, but not definitively yet, away from Tucson — Sunday at 4 p.m. The 2024 tournament selection show will air on ESPN2.

On Friday against UCLA, Arizona scored first by putting up four in the top of the third inning. Tucson High alumna and Wildcat senior Carlie Scupin had a three-run home run, followed by a sacrifice fly from former Cienega standout Blaise Biringer that scored senior Allie Skaggs, a grad locally of Ironwood Ridge.

In that fateful fifth inning, UCLA first cut into Arizona’s 4-0 lead when two-time Pac-12 Player of the Year Maya Brady hit a two-out, two-run single, followed by an RBI single from Jaydelyn Allchin.

After that, former Arizona Wildcat Sharlize Palacios, who transferred to UCLA from Tucson two seasons ago, punished her former team again. Palacios, who hit a grand slam in the bottom of the fifth in that 11-7 finish against the UA last month in Los Angeles, hit a two-run bomb Friday to give the Bruins the lead for the first time.

UCLA would add what turned out to be the game-winner when pinch-hitter Madison Pacini walked with the bases loaded. Arizona’s Olivia DiNardo, a night after her five RBIs paced Arizona to its 11-3 run-rule quarterfinal win over fourth-seeded Washington, hit a solo shot in the sixth to trim the UCLA lead to 6-5; that score would hold in the end.

Arizona’s Brook Mannon started in the circle, giving up two hits and a walk in two innings. She gave way then to Aissa Silva, who shut UCLA down for two innings, before the Bruins went off in that fateful fifth frame. Silva’s eventual line: 2 2/3 innings pitched, five hits, six earned runs allowed.

UCLA, which swept Utah 6-2, 6-5 and 12-1 in early March in Los Angeles, fell 7-4 to the Utes a year ago this week in the championship game of the inaugural Pac-12 Tournament. UA’s Hillenbrand Stadium was the host site of last year’s tournament.

Saturday’s 2024 title game from Boyd and Jill Smith Family Stadium at Stanford is at 7 p.m. on ESPN2.

Arizona softball senior Carlie Scupin hits a three-run home run as the Wildcats opened up a 4-0 lead on UCLA in the semifinals of the Pac-12 Tournament Friday, May 10, 2024. UCLA would power back, though, eventually winning 6-5 to advance to the title round. (Courtesy Arizona Athletics)

At last season’s Pac-12 Softball Tournament in Tucson, Arizona outfielder Paige Dimler (22) takes fly balls as the Wildcats prepare to open the 2023 tourney in Tucson against Arizona State on May 10, 2023.

Kelly Presnell. Arizona Daily Star 2023

Contact Star sports editor Brett Fera at bfera1@tucson.com. On X(Twitter): @brettfera

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Arizona

Michigan defenseman Hunter Hady transfers to Arizona State

Published

36 minutes ago

April 22, 2026

Press Room

Michigan defenseman Hunter Hady transfers to Arizona State

Former Michigan sophomore defenseman Hunter Hady has transferred to Arizona State, according to an announcement on the team Instagram. The 6’4’’ defenseman will join the Sun Devils for his junior year.

Hady played just two games on Michigan’s blue line this season against Harvard in November and against Bentley in the NCAA regional semifinal. He recorded a secondary assist on junior forward Garrett Schifsky’s goal in the Bentley game for his only point of the year.

Hady’s contributions were more substantive in his freshman season — though his point total remained the same. He played 32 games for Michigan as the team struggled to find defensive pairings that worked throughout the year. Hady was a reliable blue line presence who could be counted on to provide solid defense and not make significant errors.

Prior to playing for the Wolverines, Hady spent three seasons with the Chicago Steel of the USHL, where he played with current Michigan teammates senior defenseman Luca Fantilli, sophomore forward Michael Hage and junior forward Jayden Perron, among others. He joins an Arizona State team that lost ground in the NCHC this season and is looking to reach a Frozen Four for the second time in its program history.

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Arizona

Pilot Jessica Cox to be inducted into Arizona Aviation Hall of Fame

Published

13 hours ago

April 21, 2026

Press Room

Pilot Jessica Cox to be inducted into Arizona Aviation Hall of Fame

TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — Jessica Cox, the world’s first licensed armless airplane pilot and a leading advocate for disability-led innovation, will be inducted into the Arizona Aviation Hall of Fame on Friday, May 15, 2026. The induction ceremony, hosted by Rightfooted Foundation International in collaboration with the Pima Air & Space Museum, will take place at the museum from 4:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Cox’s recognition honors both her historic achievement in flight and her ongoing work expanding access and opportunity for people without arms. Through her leadership at Rightfooted Foundation International (RFI), Cox has championed mentorship, education and practical innovations that help aspiring pilots and families reimagine what’s possible in aviation and beyond.

“Saying I’m proud of her can’t fully encompass what I feel,” said Patrick Chamberlain, Cox’s husband and RFI’s Inclusive Engineering Director. “Jessica’s induction into the Arizona Aviation Hall of Fame recognizes both what she has accomplished and what she continues to do. She has helped shed light on the many pilots with disabilities in aviation and shown the world that disability does not mean inability.”

The 2026 induction class also honors two military aviators: Frank Schiel Jr., a Phoenix-born Flying Tigers veteran credited with seven enemy aircraft destroyed in World War II, and James K. Johnson, a Phoenix-born U.S. Air Force colonel and Korean War double ace credited with ten aerial victories.

The Arizona Aviation Hall of Fame, established in 1985 and housed in the Dorothy Finley Aerospace Gallery at Pima Air & Space Museum, pays tribute to Arizonans who have made significant contributions to aviation and aerospace history.

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Arizona

2026 NFL draft: 3 potential trades back from No. 3 for Arizona Cardinals

Published

1 day ago

April 21, 2026

Press Room

2026 NFL draft: 3 potential trades back from No. 3 for Arizona Cardinals

Since the Arizona Cardinals want to trade back from the No. 3 picks, here are three deals that could work.

The Arizona Cardinals have the third pick in the 2026 NFL draft, which begins this week on Thursday. All the reports coming out are saying that they want to trade out of the pick to acquire more draft picks.

But what does a trade look like and who could be involved?

The Kansas City Chiefs are involved in talks at some level. ESPN’s Adam Schefter expects trade talks to heat up this week.

NFL teams use a variation of a trade value chart when it comes to draft picks. Now, what a team actually is willing to give up can be influenced by potential competition with other teams, but we can’t count on that.

Here is the general trade value chart teams use.

Here are some potential deals that could be done.

Kansas City Chiefs

The Chiefs have two first-round picks, which would be appealing to the Cardinals, who reportedly want to make a move for quarterback Ty Simpson, and the 29th pick might be just the spot to get him.

The third overall pick is worth 514 points.

The Chiefs’ picks at No. 9 (387 points) and No. 29 (202 points) together are worth 589.

To make up the difference, the Cardinals could give up No. 65 (78 points) for a total of 592 points.

One deal could be:

Cardinals receive get No. 9 and No. 29 (589 points)
Chiefs receive No. 3 and No. 65 (592 points)

Another could be:

Cardinals receive No. 9, No. 29, No. 74 and 2027 third-round pick (653 points + value of future third-round pick, which is 36-78 points)
Chiefs receive No. 3 and No. 34 (689 points)

The Cardinals keep their third-round pick and the Chiefs essentially move back five spots from No. 29.

Dallas Cowboys

The Cowboys have the 12th and 20th picks but no pick in the second round.

Pick No. 12 is 347 points and No. 20 is 269 for a total of 616.

This deal is close:

Cardinals receive No. 12, No. 20 (616 points)
Cowboys receive No. 3, No. 65 (592 points)

New Orleans Saints

The Saints are perhaps a dark horse to move up, although they do not have two first-round picks. They have the No. 8 pick, worth 406 points. Their second-round pick, at No. 42, is worth 142 points.

This deal could work:

Cardinals receive No. 8, No. 42 (548 points)
Saints receive No. 3, No. 104 (547 points)

Then the Cardinals could use their two second-round picks to then move back into Round 1 to get Ty Simpson.

They could trade No. 34, No. 42 and No. 65 (395 points) for No. 28, No. 38 and No. 106 (398 total points).

Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire’s Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Subscribe on Spotify, YouTube or Apple podcasts.

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