After losing a four-run lead early in the game, Mississippi beat Arizona 10-8 on Saturday to advance to the NCAA Tournament Tucson Regional Final on Sunday. Arizona will play the winner of Grand Canyon and Santa Clara on Saturday night at 6 PM Mountain Standard Time in an elimination game.
Mississippi scored four runs in the top of the first inning. Aliyah Binford had an RBI single and was followed by a three-run home run from Persy Llamas to put the Rebels ahead 4-0 after a half inning. Arizona had a run-scoring single by Regan Shockey and two-run HR from Devyn Netz to get the Wildcats within 4-3.
An Angelina DeLeon HR extended the Mississippi lead to 5-3 in the top of the second inning. Arizona tied the game in the third inning on a groundout by Emily Schepp to score Kaiah Altmeyer. Altmeyer doubled earlier in the inning to score at five.
Arizona took the lead in the fourth inning when Dakota Kennedy scored on a Devyn Netz wild pitch. Pinch runner Emma Kavanagh scored on an Altmeyer single after a throwing error to extend the lead to 7-5. After Netz allowed a second HR to Llamas, Miranda Stoddard relieved her.
A three-run HR by Taylor Roman put Mississippi ahead 9-7. Lexi Brady hit a HR in the seventh to extend the lead to 10-7. Paige Dimler scored in the seventh inning on a fielder's choice to get Arizona within 10-8. Shockey walked to bring up Netz with the tying runs on base. Netz flied out to left to end the game.
There was controversy in the bottom sixth inning when Schepp appeared to double with the bases loaded that was called foul. Arizona would have at minimum tied the game at seven at the time. Schepp fouled out to left on the next pitch near where she nearly tied the game.