Softball On SI

Arizona Softball Pitcher Hit by Line Drive to Head, Wildcats Clinch BYU Series Win

Arizona extended its winning streak via run rule to seven games.
Maren Angus-Coombs|
Arizona starting pitcher Rylie Holder earned the win on Friday but exited the game after taking a line drive to the head.
Arizona starting pitcher Rylie Holder earned the win on Friday but exited the game after taking a line drive to the head. | Ethan Tees / Arizona Athletics

The No. 18 Arizona Wildcats (19-5, 2-0) clinched their seventh-straight win via run rule with an 8-0 victory over Brigham Young (5-16, 0-2) on Friday.

However, a scary moment in the fourth inning sent the fans at Rita Hillendbrand Memorial Stadium into shock when Arizona starting pitcher Rylie Holder was hit in the head by a line drive.

Holder's mask flew off, her sunglasses snapped into two pieces, and she immediately grabbed the left side of her head.

The Arizona infielders called time as soon as they could, and the coaching staff emerged from the dugout along with an athletic trainer. Holder walked off the field under her own power with the trainer and was immediately lifted from the game.

Holder's night was over after 3.0 innings. She allowed five hits and a walk and struck out three.

Jenae Berry entered the game for Holder and faced one batter before Jalen Adams took over. Adams faced the final six batters and did not allow a hit. She struck out one Cougar.

Arizona scored eight runs on eight hits and had two stolen bases in the game. Tayler Biehl led the team, going 3-for-3 with three runs batted in, and Anyssa Wild drove in two.

The Wildcats jumped on the board in the first inning on an RBI double from Biehl to get the offense started.

A six-run third busted the game open though.

Sereniti Trice made the score 2-0 with an RBI triple, and Biehl brought Trice home with an RBI single to extend the lead to 3-0. Wild drove in a couple with a two-run single to centerfield, and Addison Duke drumped a single in left to score two more.

Biehl drove in the eighth and final run of the contest in the fourth with an RBI single up the middle.

BYU threatened, putting the leadoff batter on in four of the five innings. But, the Cougars stranded seven runners on base and were unable to push a run across.

Lily Owens was 2-for-3 for BYU. Rita Tavita, Danica Acosta, and Hailey Morrow had recorded one hit.

Hailey Shuler took the loss, allowing seven earned runs on six hits and three walks in 2.0 innings. Jada Villegas also pitched the final 2.0 innings and gave up one earned run on two hits and two free passes.

Arizona and BYU will meet for one more game on Saturday at 12 p.m. MST at Hillenbrand Stadium in Tucson.

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Maren Angus-Coombs
MAREN ANGUS-COOMBS

Maren Angus-Coombs was born in Los Angeles and raised in Nashville, Tenn. She is a graduate of Middle Tennessee State University and has been a sports writer since 2008. She has been covering college softball since 2016 for various outlets including Softball America, ESPNW and Hurrdat Sports. She is currently the managing editor of Softball On SI and also serves as an analyst for Nebraska softball games on Nebraska Public Media and B1G+.

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