Arizona tops Mississippi State, advances to Super Regionals

The Wildcats erased an early 2-0 deficit to move to the next round NCAA Tournament

The Arizona Wildcats are heading to Super Regionals for the seventh time in eight years.

Aleah Craighton hit a go-ahead RBI single in the fifth and Taylor McQuillin tossed 5.2 scoreless innings in relief as the 14th-seeded Wildcats came back to beat Mississippi State 4-3 in the regional final.

Arizona went unbeaten in the Tucson Regional, taking down Saint Francis, North Dakota State, then Mississippi State.

The Wildcats will either host Cal State Fullerton or travel to UCLA in Super Regionals. Those teams are currently playing in Los Angeles Regional final.

Mississippi State, the designated home team, jumped ahead early with back-to-back solo homers in the first, courtesy of SEC Freshman of the Year Mia Davidson and Sarai Niu.

But Arizona immediately answered with three runs in the second to take the lead. Singles by Dejah Mulipola and Craighton and a hit by pitch to Ivy Davis loaded the bases for Malia Martinez with none out. She struck out on four pitches, but Jenna Kean drew a six-pitch walk, then Ashleigh Hughes looped a single to center to score two.

McQuillin started getting loose after MSU’s homers, but Denham returned to the circle in the second.

The results were similar — Carmen Carter roped a homer to left to knot the game at 3.

Denham walked the next batter, which finally prompted Candrea to summon McQuillin from the bullpen. The left-hander immediately induced a line-drive double play to end the inning.

Arizona had a chance to re-take the lead in the third after Mulipola and Craighton singled again, but Martinez struck out and Davis grounded out to end the frame.

Jessie Harper and Mulipola ignited a UA rally in the fifth with a one-out single and walk, which set the scene for Craighton’s go-ahead RBI single, a liner into left-center.

Arizona still had two runners in scoring position and a chance to add an insurance run, but Holly Ward got Martinez and Davis to ground out.

Ward surrendered 10 hits in her final college game.

The Wildcats threatened again with two infield singles in the sixth, but to no avail.

Not that it mattered — McQuillin finished the regional without allowing a single run. The left-hander tossed 19.2 scoreless innings across three games, earning the win in each one.

McQuillin retired the first 14 batters she faced Sunday, before a leadoff walk in the seventh snapped that streak.

Still, she faced 17 batters and got 17 outs.

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Follow Ryan Kelapire on Twitter at @RKelapire

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