FAYETTEVILLE, AR – Arizona Softball (41-13, 12-10) is peaking at the right time as the Wildcats swept No. 6 Arkansas en route to clinching their 24th Women’s College World Series.
It is not always how you start but how you finish, and for Arizona Softball, that couldn’t be any truer as the Wildcats have been rolling the past couple of weeks now.
After back-to-back weekends in which the Wildcats split the four-game series against Oregon, and lost three of four to UCLA while getting outscored 22-9, Arizona has responded in a big way and perhaps peaking at the right time.
Arizona Wildcats
They entered the Tucson Regional Tournament and dominated beating UMBC and Ole Miss twice to advance, setting up for a huge showdown in the Super Regionals.
Taking on No. 6 Arkansas in Fayetteville, the challenge would be on, but having done this numerous times as a program, the Wildcats were ready.
Turning to Hanah Bowen in game one, the redshirt junior would be fired up in this one. Pitching all seven innings for the Cats, delivering a tremendous performance as she would surrender just four runs on four hits while striking out eight Razorback batters.
However, offensively is where the Wildcats would be the difference-maker in this one! Overall, the Wildcats would be dominant.
Taking an early two-run lead, Dejah Mulipola would get things started for the Cats, blasting a two-run home run in the first inning.
Then Sharlize Palacios would get in on the action, driving a single to left field, scoring Janelle Meono to make it 3-0 Cats after the third inning.
Arkansas would get a run back in the fourth when Hannah McEwen would homer in the fourth, but after that, it pretty much became a home run party for the Wildcats, as Palacios and Malia Martinez homered in the fifth inning to make it 7-1, Cats.
Then it was Jessie Harper in the sixth inning and Mulipola again as the Wildcats expanded their lead to 10-2, eventually pacing themselves to the 10-4 victory to steal game one.
Late-inning heroics by Arizona Softball in game two would help the Wildcats clinch their 24th Women’s College World Series appearance.
Game two would be quite the antithesis for the Wildcats. This time turning to Alyssa Denham, the senior would find herself in a pitchers’ duel in the early parts of the game.
Dealing through four innings, the Razorbacks would finally plate a run in the fifth inning when Braxton Burnside would double to centerfield, scoring a run to break the 0-0 tie.
Being no-hit through four innings, it was finally time for the Wildcats’ offense to come alive.
Dominant as she always is, Palomino once again came through in the clutch, blasting a two-run home run, scoring Jasmine Perezchica to make it 2-1 Cats. After that, Arizona wouldn’t look back.
Scoring again, Arizona would get some insurance runs in the sixth inning when a couple of timely hits would set up Carlie Scupin who would single to right field, scoring Palacios and Mulipola to make it 4-1.
Hoping for any kind of comeback in this one, Denham would shut the door on Arkansas in the seventh inning, helping to send the Wildcats to their 24th Women’s College World Series.
https://twitter.com/ArizonaSoftball/status/1398838844846489601?s=20
Additional Notes:
As many have seen and already called out, I wrote an article that strongly criticized the Wildcats a couple of weeks ago, questioning their current elite status.
In hindsight, I would like to apologize to the coaches and players as the opinionated piece was purely reactionary and was extremely shortsighted.
As the Wildcats dominated in Fayetteville this weekend, it proved that Arizona is still very much in a class of their own, and the criticisms I expressed were largely off-the-mark.
I don’t believe in deleting or hiding what I wrote, as I was wrong. So the article will still stay to serve as a reminder to me to continue to strive to be better at what I do, as well as continue to learn.
As always, Bear Down Arizona and best of luck to Arizona Softball as the Wildcats pursue their first title since 2007.