Arizona Softball season comes to an end, after loss to Alabama

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK – After a miraculous run, the Arizona Softball season is over after the Wildcats are eliminated by Alabama Crimson Tide.

There was a lot of great progress this year for the Arizona Softball team, but unfortunately all good things must come to an end some time.

After a spectacular run to their first Women’s College World Series since 2009, the Wildcats took their talents to Oklahoma City, with the daunting task of trying to win their ninth Championship!

Arizona Wildcats

But first things first, Arizona would take on conference foe, the Washington Huskies.

Leaving it to a little bit of late game heroics, the Wildcats would come away victorious in game one, defeating the Huskies 3-1. Arizona would get a dominating pitching performance from Taylor McQuillin.

Offensively, the Cats would be sparked by two, BIG home runs that paced Arizona to their first victory of the Huskies this season!

Advancing to the next round, the Wildcats would then take their other conference foe, the UCLA Bruins on Saturday evening! Already previously dominating the Bruins earlier in the year, perhaps things would set up for another great game for the Cats!

Once again turning to McQuillin, things would start slow in this one. That is, until UCLA would break the scoreless tie in the third inning off a sacrifice fly ball that made it 1-0.

The next half inning, Arizona would even things up, when Alyssa Palomino-Cardoza would homer to right field. However, that’s the only offense the Wildcats would get again, until the seventh inning, but that’s when it was too late.

Trailing 6-1, Palomino would homer once again to make it 6-2, but Arizona would fall to the Bruins by a 6-2 final.

https://twitter.com/ArizonaSoftball/status/1134634268846637056

Needing to win their next game to stay in the tournament, the Wildcats would then take on the Alabama Crimson Tide.

Turning to Alyssa Denham to hopefully deliver a gem for the Cats, Arizona would need a big performance here in order to stay alive.

From the start, it would be a pitchers duel! Arizona would do a great job defensively in this one, that is until the third inning, when the Tide would use a couple timely hits to set-up Bailey Hemphill, who would then double to left center, scoring two runs.

Despite, the Cats’ best effort offensively, they couldn’t find a spark in this one, falling to Alabama by a 2-0 final, officially ending their chances at winning the Women’s College World Series.

With the loss, the Cats drop to 48-14 on the year, but had one heck of a season in order to get back to Oklahoma City.

It’s unfortunate, but winning at this stage is difficult, but regardless, we are still proud of our Cats! Until next year and as always, Bear Down, Arizona!