No. 17 Ole Miss Softball Upsets No. 13 Arizona to Advance to NCAA Tucson Regional Final

TUCSON, Ariz. – (Release) No. 17 Ole Miss softball upset No. 13 overall seed and NCAA Tucson Regional host Arizona, 10-8, in a wild back-and-forth affair at Hillenbrand Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

The Rebels stayed hot from Friday night’s win over No. 24 Grand Canyon and landed the first punch of the heavyweight fight, plating four runs in the first inning thanks to a three-run home run by Persy Llamas.

After Arizona swung right back with three in the bottom half, Angelina DeLeon responded with a solo home run in the second, but the Wildcats tallied two runs in both the third and fourth inning to take a 7-5 lead.

Ole Miss would not be denied, though. Llamas homered a second time to spark a fifth-inning rally, then Lexie Brady singled and Mackenzie Pickens drew an HBP to set up the game-winning three-run blast by Taylor Roman, making it a 9-7 contest.

Miali Guachino retired the Wildcats in order in the fifth, then Arizona looked poised to retake the lead in the following frame. The home team loaded the bases in the sixth, but Guachino escaped the jam without damage.

Brady added an insurance run with a solo homer in the seventh, becoming the program’s all-time single-season home run leader in the process. The host Wildcats mounted a late rally, plating one run, but the Rebels closed out the victory to take control of the Tucson Regional.

Grand Canyon and Santa Clara meet Saturday at 5:30 p.m. CT in an elimination game. The winner will take on Arizona in another elimination game Saturday night at 8 p.m. CT.

The winner of Saturday’s late game will earn the right to meet the Rebels in the regional final on Sunday at 6:30 p.m. CT. Ole Miss will have two chances to win one game, with an if-necessary finale set for 9 p.m. CT.

(Courtesy of Ole Miss Athletics)