Owning OKC: Ace Alicia Hollowell helped Wildcats run away with 2006 WCWS title

Editor’s note: For more than three decades, the UA has been one of college softball’s best teams, making 23 Women’s College World Series appearances and winning eight national championships. The Star is reliving each of the WCWS trips.

2006: Wildcats crush Northwestern in back-to-back games for seventh WCWS title

What went down: Arizona picked up its seventh national championship by shutting out Northwestern 13-0 in two games.

The 2006 season marked the first time the Wildcats played a best-of-three championship series at the Women’s College World Series. The WCWS switched from a one-game, winner-take-all format to two-of-three a year earlier.

Arizona ace Alicia Hollowell (32-5) won her first national championship and ran away with Most Outstanding Player award. In six games, Hollowell surrendered only two runs and struck out 64 batters — a WCWS record.

Hollowell one-hit Northwestern in an 8-0 win in Game 1, striking out 12 — including eight of the first 12 batters she faced.

It took a little longer for her to get going in Game 2. Hollowell gave up three straight singles in the third inning, loading the bases. She then struck out a Northwestern batter and forced a pop up and a flyout to end the inning. She finished with 13 strikeouts, a 5-0 win and a ring.

The No. 2-seeded Wildcats mainly relied on small ball — their speed and timely slap-hitting. The exception came in the seventh inning of Game 1, when Taryne Mowatt and Chelsie Mesa hit back-to-back home runs. Mowatt (3 for 4, 3 RBIs) had three of the Wildcats’ five extra-base hits.

Arizona went through Oregon State, Texas and Tennessee (twice) to advance to the championship series. The wins over Texas and Tennessee were revenge for losing 1-0 to both teams in 2005.

In the sixth inning against Texas, Callista Balko drove in the game’s only run with a single to left field. Longhorns ace Cat Osterman had struck her out in their nine previous matchups.

They played two against Tennessee, dropping the first 1-0 and winning the nightcap 6-0.

Hollowell pitched a two-hitter in the Wildcats’ win, retiring 17 of first 18 batters she faced.

Arizona finished the season 54-11. Four Wildcats — Caitlin Lowe, Mowatt, Hollowell and Autumn Champion — made the all-tournament team.

Back to homepage

Subscriber Login

Keep reading with a digital access subscription.

Subscribe now

From the archives: The Star’s Patrick Finley wrote that pitching and a new offensive approach were the keys to Arizona’s seventh title. He added:

But this crown meant a little more to coach Mike Candrea. Two months ago, the Wildcats were mired in a stretch where they lost five of eight games. Six weeks ago, Candrea convinced his players to change their entire approach – mental and physical – if they wanted to return to the arena the UA usually dominates.

He talked to them about preparation, action and response – or “par” – taken from a book about zen golf. He wrote it out on the back of the lineup card, which he taped to the dugout for every game.

Since that talk, the Wildcats won 20 of 22 games. Both losses followed by a rematch that same day, which the Wildcats won.

“A month and a half ago, we had oil spraying all over the place, nuts and bolts falling off,” Candrea said.

But he still saw potential.

“I didn’t know that we could win (the WCWS), but I felt we could if we changed things.”

She said it: “Winning a national title is what I came to Arizona to do.” – Hollowell

After OKC: Hollowell finished her UA career as the program’s career leader in wins (144), strikeouts (1,768), innings pitched (1,122), shutouts (81) and no-hitters (17) — and had eight no-nos in a single season. She also had four perfect games — one in 2004 and three in 2005.

Hollowell is one of five Division I pitchers to win 100 games, strike out 1,000 batters, carry a sub-1.00 ERA and average double-digit strikeouts per game.

Hollowell played for USA Elite Team in 2004 and the National USA Softball team a year later.