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Eight-time national champion ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ run-ruled first-time participant Santa Clara 13-5 Friday at Hillenbrand Stadium in the opening game of the ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Regional. The Wildcats extended their winning streak in regional play to 23 games, dating to 2015.

The UA moved into the winners’ bracket and will face Ole Miss at 1 p.m. Saturday. The Rebels rallied to defeat Grand Canyon 7-4 in Friday's second game. The Antelopes will face the Broncos in an elimination game at 3:30.

Santa Clara, champion of the West Coast Conference, proved to be a pesky opponent. The Broncos trimmed a 6-1 deficit to 6-5 in the top of the fourth inning before the Wildcats pulled away.

"We know at this point in the season that every game, no matter who you're playing, no matter what their seed might be, is going to be a gritty game," said UA starting pitcher Miranda Stoddard, who earned the win and hit a home run. "There's no style points at this point in the season. A win is a win. We have faith in our offense that we can score more. They score five, we score six; if they score seven, we score eight."

ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ responded with three runs in the bottom of the fourth and four more in the fifth — with Sydney Stewart’s grand slam providing the knockout blow.

The home run was Stewart’s team-leading 18th of the season. She had only seven homers in her first two seasons at Washington.

"When I first transferred, one of my biggest goals was just to develop and to have a coaching staff that has a history of being legends in the sport," Stewart said. "Coach Cait (Caitlin Lowe) is one of the greatest of all times; (it's) awesome to see the people that have gone through this program, see how they have developed.

"In the fall, I set out with Coach Ber (Amber Freeman), Cait and Lap (Lauren Lappin) my goals of the season. I told them that I wanted to slug more. I wanted to throw out more runners. So I think just dialing in on that and those goals and making sure that I put the work in. Having two seasons under my belt, and now basically three, it's just cool to see the journey and how I've grown through each season."

ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ fell behind for the fourth straight postseason game when Santa Clara’s Hope Alley launched a solo home run to left field with two outs in the top of the first inning. It was about the least likely way for the Broncos to score; they entered Friday with 16 home runs as a team. ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ co-leaders Devyn Netz and Stewart had 17 apiece.

The deficit didn’t last long. The Wildcats tied the score in the bottom of the first when Netz poked a 1-2 pitch into right field for an RBI single.

ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ took the lead in the bottom of the second. A walk, a bunt single and an error loaded the bases with one out for Regan Shockey, who ripped a two-RBI single to right.

The Wildcats scored two more runs in the inning in bizarre fashion. With Shockey at second and Dakota Kennedy at third, Santa Clara freshman starter Cari Ferguson lost her grip on the ball in the middle of her pitching motion. The ball squirted into shallow center field, enabling both runners to score. The play was recorded in the scorebook as a ball and a wild pitch.

"It was a lot of pressure. But I don't think it was pressure that got to her," Santa Clara coach Gina Carbonatto said. "I think she was in a really good place. I thought she was confident. I thought she was prepared and had settled in.

"I think, to be honest, that we've not played in as much heat, where your hands are a little bit sweaty. Losing a little bit of grip is something that can really impact where the ball goes. You should be loose in the backswing. So it's not surprising. It's unfortunate. She'll be better tomorrow."

Stoddard, who started in the circle for ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥, led off the bottom of the third with a solo home run, her 14th of the season in just 104 at-bats.

Just when it seemed ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ was headed for a blowout, Santa Clara fought back. The Broncos scored four runs in the top of the fourth to make it 6-5. All four runs were charged to Ryan Maddox, who relieved Stoddard to start the third inning.

Maddox cruised through the third before struggling in the fourth. A hit batter and two walks loaded the bases. Maddox then surrendered a two-RBI double to Robynn Balmediano.

ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ reinserted Stoddard, who yielded a two-RBI single to Lauren Bryson before retiring the next three batters.

Kaiah Altmeyer’s two-run double bumped ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥â€™s lead to 8-5. Altmeyer then scored on a groundout to make it 9-5.

A pair of singles and a walk set up Stewart for the game-ending slam.

"Her preparation is unmatched," Lowe said of her all-conference catcher. "She comes ready to work every single day and has done nothing but get better since Day One that she stepped onto this field in ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥."

UA fans were excited to see NCAA regional softball at Hillenbrand for the first time since 2021. Dozens lined up outside the stadium more than an hour before first pitch.

The grandstands were packed, while the bleachers — fully exposed to the sun with a 4:30 p.m. first pitch — were about 40% full.

Extra bases

– Stoddard improved to 13-0. She allowed three hits and one earned run in four innings.

– Neither Stoddard nor Maddox recorded a strikeout. It was the second time this season the UA staff did not fan a batter (Alabama, Feb. 8).

– Shockey, Altmeyer and Stoddard had two hits apiece. Kennedy scored three runs.