Arizona pitcher Jenae Berry against Oklahoma on Feb. 7, 2026 | Photo by Ryan KelapireKim DossSat, February 14, 2026 at 3:30 AM UTC·4 min readCoastal Carolina made the NCAA postseason last year, but it was still a bit of a surprise to see them come out and jump on the No. 17 Arizona Wildcats. After escaping an upset bid from Drake on Thursday, Arizona couldn’t pull a rabbit out of the hat a second time in the 6-2 loss to CCU.
“They beat us in all the ways tonight, and it’s our job to respond tomorrow,” said Arizona head coach Caitlin Lowe.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementArizona started Jalen Adams in the circle. It was her seventh appearance in eight Wildcat games. The Chanticleers looked more than ready for her.
After picking up her teammates in several games, it was Adams who needed some help this time. Jenae Berry was the one to give it. The sophomore surrendered just one earned run on six hits and one walk in 4.1 innings.
“I just brought my best stuff and knew that my defense was gonna figure it out and have my back behind me,” Berry said. “Jalen has had our back the last week and a half, and, you know, she’s a dog. And tonight wasn’t her night, but I knew that she’s been such a great teammate, and she’s had my back every time, that it was my duty to have hers.”
It was the bright spot on a rainy day that didn’t have a lot of bright spots for the home team.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementCCU pitcher Abby Henderson came in with a 14.00 ERA and 3.50 WHIP. Admittedly, that was skewed by the fact that she had only pitched two innings so far this year. Her performance against Arizona was topnotch.
“She was kind of keeping us guessing a little bit with her,” said senior right fielder Grace Jenkins. “She’s coming in and out, both righties and lefties, and she had that off-speed.”
Henderson gave up two earned runs on four hits and four walks. She didn’t allow a baserunner until Jenna Sniffen walked in the third, and she didn’t give up a hit until the fourth.
The visitors got hits in the first two innings. Those hits came with two outs both times.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe Chanticleers got started earlier in the third. They loaded the bases with one out, and pushed three runs across on a double and a throwing error by Jenkins. Adams got the second out, but once again had difficulty getting the third.
It cost more runs. Two more crossed home plate before Adams was relieved by Berry.
Berry stranded the runners, but Arizona was down 5-0.
The bigger problem was that the Arizona offense wasn’t helping and its defense didn’t support the pitchers like it needed to. It has been a problem for the Wildcats in several games this season.
“So many of the things we’re talking about are controllable,” Lowe said. “Our defense is super controllable. Us being able to hit spots and control the tempo of the game. All those things. It’s not us, what we did defensively tonight…So we have to show up tomorrow and settle into being ourselves. I think, offensively, just doing our job and passing the bat. And we have kind of bright spots throughout the lineup, but we’re not stringing things together and feeding off each other how we can, and so the challenge is to be a better team tomorrow and execute in a better way.”
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementArizona finally broke through in the fourth. Jenkins made up for her error with an RBI single that drove in Sereniti Trice from second base. Trice had taken the extra base during a strikeout of Sydney Stewart, and it made a huge difference.
A single by Tayler Biehl and a walk by Emma Kavanagh loaded the bases with one out. Sina Talataina drove in a second run with a groundout, but that’s all Arizona could get out of the situation.
Berry worked her way through some jams, but continued to put up zeroes until the top of the sixth. Another run came across to give CCU the 6-2 final margin.
Arizona tried to make another late-inning comeback in the seventh. Sniffen walked again to give Arizona a one-out baserunner. Kiki Escobar came in to run for her, but a flyout by Addison Duke couldn’t move her from first.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementRegan Shockey’s single put two on in front of Trice. If Trice could reach, Stewart would be up with the bases loaded and a swing of the bat could tie the game.
Trice almost did it with a ball back to the pitcher, but the throw narrowly beat her for the final out.
Arizona will get the opportunity to avenge the loss on Saturday. The Wildcats face the Chanticleers again at 2:30 p.m. MST and then go against Utah Valley at 4:30. Both games will stream on ESPN+.
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