At Long Last, Arizona is Back!
www.arizonawildcats.com
TUCSON – Arizona put its collective foot on the gas in the last half of the game and socked Ole Miss, 9-1, to earn its 23rd trip to the Women’s College World Series and first since 2010.
UA (47-12) banged out 10 hits, knocked some home runs, played error free ball and treated the 2,835 fans at Hillenbrand Stadium to a decisive Super Regional victory and a sweep in two games over the Rebels (41-20).
Alyssa Denham (13-5) earned the victory for Arizona, going the distance and scattering six hits.
Ole Miss got a runner to third base in the bottom of the first, but couldn’t bring a run across. With one out Abbey Latham doubled to left center and moved over on a ground out, but Alyssa Denham struck out Brittany Finney.
UA put the first run on the board, with a line drive over the right field fence by Dejah Mulipola, her 22nd home run of the season, to open the second inning.
The Rebels responded with a rally that was derailed in the home second. Singles by Kaylee Horton, Jessica Puk and Tate Whitley loaded the bases. Denham struck out Amanda Roth and Mikayla Allee, and then took care of All-South first-teamer Kylan Becker on a roller to second.
Autumn Gillespie tied the game with a one-out blast to left in the home third, her fifth home run of the year.
Malia Martinez got a fifth UA hit off Ole Miss starter Molly Jacobsen (14-8) in the fourth, and Mulipola followed with a walk. Riley Pierce grounded out to pitcher, but moved the runners along. Reyna Carranco blooped a single to left for an RBI, and Mulipola moved to third. Hanah Bowen hit an RBI single to left, where fielder Whitley muffed the grab, allowing Carranco to score an extra, unearned, run and make it 4-1 Arizona.
Martinez, a 4-for-4 heroine in Friday night’s victory, added an insurance run with a two-out yard ball to right center in the UA fifth, her 14th home run of the year.
Denham got in trouble in the fifth, walking pinch hitter Sydney Gutierrez and Becker with no outs. Latham grounded out to third, and then thirdbaseman Malia Martinez cut down pinch runner Kelsha Loftin at home plate on a second chopper by Gillespie. Gillespie stole second to put two runners in scoring position, but Denham came through with a huge strikeout of cleanup hitter Finney.
A slick play by UA shortstop Jessie Harper kept the bases clean in the Rebels’ sixth. With two outs, Whitley hit a chopper that Harper snagged behind the pitching circle, with no chance to square and make a throw. On the run she backhanded the ball to Pierce at first just in time.
UA kept the pressure on in the seventh. Palomino-Cardoza slugged her 17th home run after Carli Campbell singled to open the UA seventh, giving the UA a 7-1 margin. Harper drew a walk and Ole Miss went to pitcher Ava Tillmann in relief. She walked Mulipola and Pierce followed with an RBI single up the middle to make it 8-1. UA picked up an unearned run on an error by the shortstop off Carranco’s ground ball.
The Wildcats, an NCAA tournament team for 33 consecutive years, last emerged from Tucson as a Super Regional winner in 2010, and made it through the WCWS loser’s bracket to play in the championship series. UA is 175-61 (.742) in NCAA play.
Ole Miss was playing in its first Super Regional. Arizona will travel to Oklahoma City for the WCWS starting Thursday.
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