Led by the bats of Sharlize Palacios and Allie Skaggs, the Arizona Wildcats scored eight unanswered runs to overcome an early deficit and beat Illinois 8-3 in Friday’s opening round of the NCAA Regionals in Columbia, Missouri.
Palacios and Skaggs had back-to-back home runs as part of a three-run third inning that saw the Wildcats grab the lead after the Illini got out to a 2-0 start in the first. Arizona extended the lead in the fifth with four more runs, highlighted by a two-run home run from designated player Blaise Biringer.
With the victory, Arizona advanced to the winner’s bracket of the Columbia Regional. The Wildcats will be the home team Saturday, when they take on No. 15 seed Missouri on Saturday at 11:30 a.m.
The Wildcats appeared to be in trouble to start the day. Pitcher Hanah Bowen gave up a quick pair of runs in the first inning on a two-RBI double from the Illini cleanup hitter Kelly Ryono. Bowen allowed three hits in the inning, but she quickly settled in soon thereafter.
“Just tried to command the zone like I always do,” Bowen said. “Attacking each pitch just one at a time.”
Third baseman Izzy Pacho provided the first of four Arizona home runs in the game with a solo shot to left-center field in the second inning. The Wildcats entered tournament play tied for 10th in the NCAA in home runs and had gone deep 20 times in their last 10 games.
Right-hander Hanah Bowen was stellar in Friday’s NCAA Regional win over Illinois in Columbia, Missouri.
The following inning, the Cats got two more long balls, both with two outs. Janelle Meoño reached on an infield single bringing in Palacios. On the first pitch of the at-bat, Palacios slapped a line shot over the right-center field fence for her 18th homer of the season to put Arizona up 3-2.
“The home runs happen really when you aren’t even thinking about it,” Palacios said. “But it was a really big feeling.”
The next batter, Skaggs, took a 1-2 pitch that was placed shoulder-high and parked it into the left-field lawn.
The lead helped Bowen find a rhythm in the circle as she sent the Illini down in order in the third and fourth innings. Illinois put runners on first and second in both the fifth and sixth, though Bowen was able to get out unscathed.
Arizona took full control in the fifth as three of the first four batters reached base. Palacios started off with a double and pinch-runner Amber Toven scored on a single by Allie Skaggs followed by an error by Illinois.
Allie Skaggs makes contact during Friday’s win over Illinois in the Columbia, Missouri, softball regional.
Scupin lined a single to score Skaggs and then Biringer broke the game open with a two-run homer to make it 8-2. Biringer had been just 4 for 20 (.200) at the dish since April 19 but went 2 for 4 in the regional game; she was one of four UA players with a multi-hit performance against Illinois.
The eight runs given up by Illinois are the most allowed in a game since April 2. Starting pitcher Sydney Sickels entered the day with a 1.97 ERA and lasted just 3 1/3 innings while allowing four earned runs.
Illinois scored a run in the seventh before Bowen closed the game by stranding two runners on base.
Friday marked the program’s first NCAA Tournament win under first-year head coach Caitlin Lowe. The former Wildcats star and longtime UA assistant took over for Mike Candrea when the UA legend retired following last year’s Women’s College World Series.
“I didn’t even think about it at all,” Lowe said. “Just feeling for these players, who I know they’ve worked their tails off so hard to be in these moments.”
