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Arizona Sweeps Arkansas, Punches Ticket to 24th WCWS

by arizonawildcats.com
May 29, 2021

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. -- Arizona completed the Fayetteville Super Regional sweep, defeating Arkansas 4-1 on Saturday to secure a spot in the Women's College World Series for the 24th time in school history. 

After taking down the host Razorbacks in game 1, 10-4 on Friday, the Cats finished off the sweep with a 4-1 win in game 2 to pull off the rare road super regional sweep. The Wildcats will now move onto Oklahoma City for the second straight season and 24th overall, second most in NCAA history.

After a slow start offensively, the Wildcats' bats came alive in the final two innings, erasing a 1-0 deficit with four unanswered runs in the fifth and sixth innings. 

Arkansas pitcher Autumn Storms had a perfect game entering the bottom of the fifth until Sharlize Palacios led off the frame with a single through the left side. The next batter -- Alyssa Palomino-Cardoza -- hit a two-run opposite-field home run to turn the one-run deficit to a one-run lead, The homer, Palomino-Cardoza's eighth of the season and 69th of her career -- came on her 24th birthday.

Arizona added two more in the sixth when Carlie Scupin singled in a pair of runs of insurance.

And while the offense came through late, Alyssa Denham did her job in the circle, limiting the powerful Arkansas offense to just one unearned run on four total hits. She struck out four and walked three in the complete game to improve to 19-8 on the season. It marked her second complete-game victory to send the Wildcats to the WCWS after she defeated Ole Miss in game 2 of the 2019 Tucson Regional.

The Wildcats are now a perfect 5-0 this postseason, outscoring its five opponents 45-17. The Cats improved to 41-13 on the season with the win.

Arizona will open the Women's College World Series on Thursday, June 3 vs. third-seeded Alabama. It will be Arizona's fifth straight game vs. an SEC opponent. Times and TV information will be announced at a later date.

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