Arizona 5, Harvard 1

TUCSON - It took host Arizona six innings to get enough timely hits to pull away from Harvard, 5-1, and send the Wildcats onward in winner's bracket play of the NCAA Softball Championships Regional here at Hillenbrand Stadium Friday night.

Arizona ace Taylor McQuillin (21-7) tossed a one hitter, a first-inning home run. The score was knotted at one apiece until UA's outburst against Harvard's Katie Duncan. To that point she had withstood UA's potent attack with good pitching. In the end she allowed 13 hits.

The region's top-seeded Wildcats (43-12) will meet Auburn at 3 p.m. Saturday in the NCAA's double-elimination format.

The Crimson (25-18) got on the board early with a one-out home run to left center in the first by Erin Lockhart, her fourth of the year.
 
Arizona had a runner in scoring position in its half of the frame after singles by Jessie Harper and Dejah Mulipola, but Duncan (17-6) got Rylee Pierce on a groundball to strand the pair.

UA's McQuillin got into a jam of her own making in the second with a throwing error that allowed batter Trina Hoang to reach second, a wild pitch that moved Hoang to third, and a walk to put runners at the corners. But she induced a ground ball to end the threat.

Pierce drew a walk and advanced to second on a wild pitch in the Arizona fourth, but Duncan got ground-ball outs by Hillary Edior and Hannah Bowen, the second moving Pierce to third. Hannah Martinez blooped a single into left center to drive in Pierce and tie the game.

UA had two runners in scoring position after a pair of hits by Alyssa Palomino-Cardoza and Mulipola, but Duncan got a groundout off Pierce to end the threat. They were Arizona's sixth and seventh runners left on base.

In the UA sixth, Bowen hit a one-out double off the fence in right center and then scored on a single to center by Hannah Martinez, who moved to second on a throw to the plate. An out later, Palomino-Cardoza singled her in for a 3-1 lead.

Harper walked and then Malia Martinez singled up the middle to drive in Palomino-Cardoza. Mulipola hit an infield single to load the bases, and Pierce came up with a hit off the pitcher's glove to drive in Harper and make it 5-1.

Auburn 10, Colorado State 5

TUCSON - Auburn came from behind twice, used a four-run rally to take the lead and eventually beat Colorado State, 10-5, in the first game at Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium here Friday in the NCAA Softball Championships.

The Tigers (38-19) move to winner's bracket action Saturday afternoon against either Harvard or host Arizona. CSU (38-11) will face the loser of the Harvard-UA matchup later on Saturday evening.
 
Auburn had 14 hits in the game and took advantage of three CSU errors to score five unearned runs.
 
CSU wasted little time taking the first lead. Ashley Michelena drew a game-opening walk and Haley Donaldson tagged Auburn starter Chardonnay Harris with a home run to left center. Harris struck out a pair, but Ashley Ruiz slugged a solo home run down the left field line to make it 3-0.
 
The Tigers matched the start in the bottom of the frame. Casey McCrackin singled up the middle and Alyssa Rivera homered to left center off Rams starter Jessica Jarecki. Kendall Veach hit a one-out single and then shortstop Donaldson missed the bag on a force play to put two aboard. Pinch hitter Carmyn Greenwood singled up the middle and Veach beat a throw to the plate to tie the game.
 
A pair of unearned runs put CSU back on top in the second. Corina Gamboa reached second on an error and Isabella Navarro singled to center to plate her and chase Harris from the circle.  Danni Klein greeted reliever Ashlee Swindle with a single to right, and a mishandled ball by fielder Rivera put both runners in scoring position. An infield grounder by Michelena scored Navarro to make it 5-3.
 
In the Tigers' third, a hit batter and two singles loaded the bases. Pinch hitter Aspyn Godwin hit into a fielder's choice to score Justus Perry. After returning, Makenna Dowell stole second. Morgan Podany's groundball was muffed by second baseman Navarro and an unearned run scored to tie the game, 5-5.
 
Tannon Snow followed a single by Rivera with a home run to center to give Auburn its first lead in the bottom of the fourth. It chased Jarecki (15-3) in favor of reliever Bridgette Hutton. An out later, a walk by Justus Perry and singles by Brittany Maresette and Greenwood loaded the bases. Makenna Dowell drove in a run with a grounder to make it a three-run lead and a wild pitch by Hutton plated another run to make it 9-5.
 
Swindle (11-8) was hit by a liner from Ruiz with a runner aboard in the fifth. The Tigers brought starter Harris back in to pitch and she thwarted the rally. The turn of events gave Harris a save, her first of the year.
 
Auburn made it 10-5 with an RBI double by Dowell and another unearned run in the bottom of the sixth. 

SATURDAY'S SCHEDULE:
G3 -- 3 p.m. - Auburn vs. Arizona (winner to Sunday)
G4 -- 5:30 p.m. - Harvard vs. Colorado State  (elimination game)
G5 -- 8 p.m. - Loser G3 vs. Winner G4  (elimination game)