Pitcher/second baseman Hanah Bowen has played the good soldier throughout her Arizona career.
In the circle, she has been the third starter, eating innings when Mariah Lopez and Alyssa Denham need a breather. In the field, she hasnβt committed an error while filling in for the injured Reyna Carranco, and at the plate, sheβs shown incredible poise, drawing five walks in 12 plate appearances.
With Bowen slotted ninth in the lineup, Sunday looked like another day of yeomanβs work. Instead, she got to be the hero, delivering a walk-off single in the eighth inning of a 3-2 victory over Oregon State that very easily could have gone the other way.
βIβve always said, sheβs like a swiss-army knife. She does a lot of things really well,β Candrea said. βThere was no doubt in my mind that sheβd be ready if her name was called.β
Plenty of miscues and bad luck brought the third-ranked Wildcats (10-0) to the point where Bowenβs heroics were necessary. In just their second non-mercy-rule victory of the season, Arizona left 10 runners on base, including five in the final two innings of regulation.
That included Hannah Martinez being thrown out by half a step in the sixth when Carlie Scupin would have scored from third, and Malia Martinezβs bases-loaded line drive falling a foot wide of the foul line in left before she lined out to right.
After a couple of hard-hit balls in the first inning, Denham found her groove, blowing her mid-60s drop ball past Beavers and fooling them with her changeup.
OSU scored its only earned run off Denham in the sixth inning. Mariah Mazon skied a popup to left-center field, where the wind was howling.
Freshman left fielder Janelle Meono drifted, watching the ball, step by step, before suddenly colliding with the wall. The ball ricocheted over it, resulting in Denhamβs first allowed run of the season.
βThe trouble is when you start coasting to the fence, you hit the fence and then trying to make the catch is very difficult,β Candrea said. βItβs hard to practice something like that, so you have to give her the benefit of the doubt. Janelleβs a good outfielder.β
The other OSU run came in the eighth, when a runner was placed at second base to start the inning in accordance with the international tie-breaking rule.
That gave OSU its only lead. Things looked dire for the Wildcats in the bottom half. Pinch-runner Giulia Koutsoyanopulos, representing the tying run, appeared to be tagged out at home.
However, the call was reversed due to obstruction by OSU catcher Missy Nunes. The throw home bounced to the right side of the plate, and Nunes did not give Koutsoyanopulos a path to the plate.
Bowen was the very next batter. She guided a grounder past the OSU first baseman to score Allie Skaggs from second.
βI knew we had fairly decent speed at second so my plan was to shorten up and hit it hard to the right side,β Bowen said.
