Arizona Softball upsets No.1 Florida State in historical fashion on run-rules

Arizona Wildcats upset No.1 Florida State Seminoles in game two of a three game series at home, way to go ladies!

First time in program history! The Arizona Softball team has set many records, won many conference and national championships, but had yet to beat a No.1 team on run-rules – until yesterday. After losing the first game against Florida State, the Wildcats came back and absolutely crushed their opponent 11-3 in five innings!

They had beaten a No.1 team before in program history 16 times, but this was the first time ever they had accomplished that feat in run-rules fashion. For those who don’t know what the run-rule is, it’s when a team is up by at least eight runs after five innings. That’s what exactly happened for the Wildcats against the Seminoles in game two.

It’s one thing to upset a No.1 team, but it’s another thing when they did it in just five innings. In the first game of the series, the Seminoles went out early to a 2-0 lead, before the Wildcats would tie it up in third innings. Their opponent though would score three more runs and earn a 5-3 victory. Taylor McQuillin pitched a solid six innings, allowing five hits, and striked out nine. The Wildcats offense had five hits, including a homerun by Dejah Mulipoa, but wasn’t enough for the win.

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In game two, it was a whole different story. The Seminoles did jump out early to a 1-0 lead after the top of the first, but then it was all Wildcats as they would go on to win 11-3! They poured in three runs in the first, four in the second, two in the third and two in the fifth. Pitching was stellar for Wildcats. Gina Synder pitched the entire game, allowing only three runs on four hits and striking out four. She now improves her overall record for the season to 3-0.

On offense, the Wildcats had 12 hits, 10 RBIs and only striked out five times. Mulipoa led the way with two homeruns that were crushed and four RBIs. Jessie Harper, Reyna Carranco and Alyssa Palomino each had two RBIs. Hannah Martinez and Jenna Kean also produced, each having two hits each.

This type of offense is what wins championships. Heading into this game, the Wildcats were 0-4 against Top 10 teams this year. With this win, the No.12 ranked Wildcats improve their overall record to 18-6, 10-3 at home and 3-0 on the road. Up next for this team, a chance to beat the No.1 team again in the third and final game of the series.

Not only was the Wildcats offense on fire in this one, their defense as well stepped up in a huge way:

At Zona Zealots, we are extremely proud for the Wildcats historical win over the Seminoles. Their is a reason why they call Coach Mike Candrea the GOAT. Never, never doubt what this team is capable of on any given day. Way to go ladies. Bear Down, Arizona!