Arizona-Mexico exhibition provides special moment for Palacios sisters

Arizona’s Sharlize Palacios had never been able to play with her sister, Sashel, whose final season at Arizona State was 2017.

The sisters often tease their parents about the age gap.

“I’m like, ‘You guys didn’t plan it right; we’re not close enough to play with each other,’” Sharlize Palacios said.

That changed Saturday, when Sharlize’s No. 8 Wildcats hosted Sashel and the Mexican National Team in an exhibition as part of the Bear Down Fiesta at Hillenbrand Stadium.

“I’ve been dreaming of this moment,” Sharlize Palacios said. “We’ve never played against each other. If you count backyard baseball, we have and I killed her. Don’t let her tell you anything different. But no, in a real game, I haven’t.”

The two were born to be catchers, just like their father, Kiko, who was drafted in the 54th round of 1993 MLB Draft by the Detroit Tigers. With those family ties, Sharlize never had much of a choice but to be behind the plate — just like Sashel and her younger brother, Sabian, a catcher in the high school class of 2024.

“I just kind of got thrown in there,” Sharlize said. “I have the best mentors to help me be the best catcher. Hopefully, one day, when I get to (Sashel’s) age, I’ll be better than her.”

Set to take over as the team’s top catcher when senior Dejah Mulipola departs, Sharlize Palacios has been making an impact with her bat.

As the starting designated player, she has registered a hit in 21 of her 29 games while batting .358. After hitting just one home run in 34 at bats in last year’s shortened season, she entered Saturday with eight homers — including two in Friday’s 11-5 win over New Mexico State.

Coach Mike Candrea called her “extremely powerful.”

“I see that all the time, so I’m not surprised,” he said. “When she squares the ball up, she can hit it out of any park.”

Arizona beat New Mexico State again Saturday afternoon, winning 8-0 in five innings. Malia Martinez hit a walk-off two-run homer to invoke the mercy rule. It was the second home run of the game for Martinez, who has seven hits in her last 17 at-bats with 13 RBIs after breaking out of a midseason slump.

Palacios picked up where she left off, ripping an RBI double in her first at-bat Saturday, and pitcher Mariah Lopez allowed just four hits and two walks with six strikeouts over five shutout innings.

The evening’s exhibition did not count statistically, but it mattered.

Especially to the Palacios family.

“It’s so nice to see her here in college in a program where I know she’s fitting in,” Sashel Palacios said.

“It’s been a long road for her getting here. I’ve been able to watch her play, but to get to play against her, it’s super special and something I’ve been looking forward to for a long time.”