TUCSON, Ariz. — Upset completed.
No. 17 Ole Miss delivered a clutch performance, defeating No. 13 Arizona 7-3 on Sunday night to clinch a spot in the NCAA Super Regionals for the third time in program history.
Not many folks were predicting that when the tournament started.
“This group never quits,” Rebels coach Jamie Traschel said. “They play for each other and found a way to respond when it mattered most”.
The Rebels rebounded from a tough 10-1 loss earlier in the day to take control early in the decisive game, showcasing resilience and timely offense to eliminate the Wildcats on their home field.
Arizona, who needed to beat Ole Miss twice on Sunday to advance, opened the day with a dominant run-rule victory, but Ole Miss quickly regrouped.
In the winner-take-all nightcap, the Rebels jumped ahead in the top of the first inning. Aliyah Binford and Mackenzie Pickens each launched two-run home runs, giving Ole Miss a 4-0 lead before Arizona could record three outs.
Arizona coach Caitlin Lowe acknowledged the early blow.
“It was a punch,” she said later. “But we were throwing punches all day, and I was proud of us for responding with the two there in the beginning.
“A lot of people are going to talk about the left on base, but we were relentless getting people on and putting pressure on every single inning, and our outs with runners left on base were feisty.”
The Wildcats responded with two runs in the bottom of the first, but Ole Miss kept the pressure on.
Persy Llamas homered to start the third, and Lexie Brady later scored on a Pickens double and Ashton Lansdell sacrifice fly, restoring a four-run cushion.
Arizona’s Sydney Stewart hit a solo shot in the third, but Binford answered with her second home run in the fourth, making it 7-3.
From there, Ole Miss pitching and defense took over.
Brianna Lopez held Arizona scoreless in the fourth and fifth, and when the Wildcats loaded the bases in the sixth, Miali Guachino entered to induce a pop-up and escape the jam.
Guachino then retired Arizona in order in the seventh to seal the win.
Ole Miss now advances to face SEC rival and No. 4 overall seed Arkansas in the Fayetteville Super Regional, continuing a remarkable postseason run.
With the victory, Ole Miss cements its place among the nation’s top programs, while Arizona’s season ends at 47-13.
