Arizona
Devyn Netz throws perfect game, hits home run in Arizona softball’s run-rule defeat of BYU
Devyn Netz can do it all. She proved it against BYU on Thursday afternoon, throwing a perfect game and hitting a home run in a five-inning run-rule victory. The No. 11 Arizona Wildcats defeated the Cougars 8-0 at Gail Miller Field in Provo, Utah.
Netz commanded the zone and got some strong play from her defense behind her. Freshman third baseman Jenna Sniffen was a machine all game, starting the 5-3 putout time and again.
The best play was the final one, and it came from second baseman Kiki Escobar. BYU pinch hitter Keila Kamoku hit a hard ball toward Escobar, who knocked it down. The question was whether she could get it and throw to Miranda Stoddard at first in time. Escobar kept her cool and made the play just in time.
Netz was the star of the show, though. Arizona had a combined perfect game thrown by Brooke Mannon and Ali Blanchard last season, but the last time a pitcher threw a solo perfect game was in 2017. Michelle Floyd performed the feat against Hartford that year. The last to do it in conference play was Kenzie Fowler against Oregon State in 2010.
Netz became just the sixth Arizona pitcher to throw a solo perfect game in program history. Eight pitchers have achieved it either solo or combined. Thirty-one Wildcat pitchers have now thrown a no-hitter, either solo or combined.
Netz is a complete player. It didn’t stop at her pitching performance. She also made strong plays on defense and showed her prowess in the batter’s box.
Arizona came into the top of the fifth with a 6-0 lead. They needed two runs to be in position to close the game out in five innings in the bottom of the inning. The redshirt senior provided the RBI to reach the eight-run plateau.
Kaiah Altmeyer walked on four straight pitches to lead off. Netz took one ball then smacked the next pitch over the fence.
Arizona’s all-around dominance took a little while to get going. While Netz was locked in as a pitcher from the beginning, the offense took a few at-bats to take over.
The middle of the order had a tough time in their last game at Arizona State on Sunday. That wasn’t the case in Provo.
While Netz struck out to end the first and had a foul-out in a prime scoring opportunity in the third, the four through seven hitters did a ton of damage overall. Five-hole hitter Sydney Stewart walked to lead off the second inning. No. 6 hitter Stoddard took two strikes before knocking the ball out of the park to give Arizona a 2-0 lead in the second.
The scoring in the third inning was a prime example of scoring runs any way you can, which head coach Caitlin Lowe talked about before the team left for BYU.
It started with a single by Dakota Kennedy. Regan Shockey put two on with no outs with an error on the shortstop that could have been ruled a hit. Kaiah Altmeyer moved both into scoring position with a flyout to centerfield.
That brought Netz up just needing to repeat Altemeyer’s at-bat to get another run across. The foul-out made it more difficult for Arizona to tack on some runs.
Stewart’s infield single pushed Kennedy across and moved Shockey to third. Stoddard walked to load the bases with two outs.
It was on freshman Anyssa Wild to make something happen. It was a big occasion for Arizona’s designated player. She was once committed to play for BYU but took the field for her hometown Wildcats.
Wild grounded out in her first at-bat. This time, she knocked a ball all the way to the wall, driving in three runs with her first career double. It put the Wildcats up 6-0 and set up the fifth-inning heroics of Netz.
Netz threw just 45 pitches to 15 batters in five innings. She struck out two.
The Wildcats’ offense had six hits, including a double and two home runs. They also took advantage of five walks and one BYU error.
All eight RBI came from the four through seven hitters as did five of the six hits. Stewart was 2 for 3 with one RBI at the plate. Stoddard was 1 for 2 with a walk and a home run. She had two RBI. Wild led the team with three RBI while going 1 for 2 and drawing a walk.
Arizona improved to 30-5 on the season and 7-3 in Big 12 play. BYU is now 20-7 overall and 4-3 in league play.
Lead photo courtesy of Arizona Athletics
PHOENIX — The number of legal challenges to detentions in Arizona and nationwide has grown to record highs.
Immigration Attorney Hugo Balderas Ibarra said when someone is picked up by ICE, typical bond hearings are “pretty much out the window.”
“These policies that the administration is implementing violate the due process, violate fifth amendment,” Balderas Ibarra said.
This has led attorneys representing detained individuals to file what’s known as a habeas corpus petition.
“A habeas corpus petition is something in federal court that says the federal government is detaining me or confining me somewhere without basis in law,” New Frontier Immigration Law founder Hillary Walsh said.
Walsh said she filed three petitions on Friday alone.
“One of these is for an 18-year-old kid who has no criminal history,” Walsh said. “He came here to seek asylum a few years ago, and went through the whole process legally, asked at the border, did everything right, and now he’s detained.”
Data by TRAC shows the surge in the federal filings alleging illegal detention over the past year.
From 105 nationally in March 2025, to 9,059 the same month this year.
In Arizona, more than 1,100 cases have been filed between October and March, according to TRAC.
“A lot more people who are being detained, but we also have a whole other layer to the process for getting them out if they’re eligible for bond, and so that clogs up the whole federal court system,” Walsh said.
As the Iowa State Cyclones continue to reflect on what was a strong season, one of their top players from last year is in the portal and is the best player available.
After deciding to come back to college a couple of days ago, Milan Momcilovic is now the best player in the portal and has a number of suitors looking to bring him in. Due to the large amount of money that he is expected to get, it would be a complete shock if he came back to Iowa State at this point. However, where he goes could have an impact on the program.
Last season, the junior had a breakout year and emerged as one of the best shooters in the country. While there is still work to be done to translate his game to the next level, he is an impact player in college basketball.
However, where he might go is the big decision everyone is waiting to see. Currently, it appears to be a three-horse race between the Arizona Wildcats, Kentucky Wildcats, and the Louisville Cardinals. Of the three, the Cyclones certainly don’t want to see him go to one of those schools.
Momcilovic Choosing Arizona Would Be a Tough Blow
If the star shooter for the Cyclones were to choose the Wildcats, it would be a tough blow for Iowa State. While the Cyclones had a great season this year, it was Arizona that was a thorn in their side.
The Wildcats were able to beat them both in their regular-season matchup and then again in the Big 12 tournament. The game in the Big 12 was an absolute thriller and went right down to the wire.
While Iowa State might have lost, it was Momcilovic who had a fantastic game in the showdown. Now, as the talented sharpshooter mulls his decision on where to play next year, seeing him go to Arizona would be a tough blow for the Cyclones.
This was a team that beat them twice last year, and taking one of their best players would likely result in the Wildcats being considered a better team heading into next season as well.
While Iowa State did a great job in the transfer portal and has some young talent coming back, losing the best three-point shooter in the country is a big blow. Furthermore, since Kentucky and Louisville aren’t in the Big 12, seeing Momcilovic join one of those squads wouldn’t sting or have an impact on the Cyclones nearly as much.
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