Late homer sinks UA in Women’s College World Series opener; Cats to play elimination game Friday

The Wildcats were clicking on all cylinders in Thursday night’s game against No. 7 Oklahoma State, showing off efficient pitching, stellar defense, and timely hitting — until they weren’t.

A sixth-inning defensive error and a pitch in the wrong spot led to a three-run blast off the bat of Karli Petty, and the Cowgirls beat beat Arizona 4-2 at USA Softball Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City. Arizona (38-21) moves into the loser’s bracket of the WCWS; the Wildcats will play Pac-12 foe Oregon State (39-21) Friday at 6:30 p.m. in an elimination game. The Beavers lost to Florida 7-1 in a game played earlier Thursday.

Oregon State took two of three when the teams met during the regular season.

“We played an amazing game, and it was one pitch that (made) the difference. And take away that pitch and it’s a different game,” UA catcher Sharlize Palacios said, referring to Petty’s home run. “…There’s nothing lacking, and it’s just that’s the way the games are when you get to the College World Series. There are only eight teams left. It’s the best of the best, and that’s what’s going to happen. I think we just have to play our best game and just focus on the next pitch.”

That’s exactly what Palacios did in the top of the fifth. After striking out two times in her previous at-bats, Palacios put the Wildcats ahead 2-1 with a two-run blast to left field. It was her 20th home run of the season. Sophia Carroll was on base after hitting a single up the middle.

The Cowgirls battled back, loading the bases in the fifth inning on a hit batter and two walks before Hanah Bowen got a flyout to right field.

OSU’s timely hits came an inning later. Miranda Elish, who had doubled and singled in her first two at-bats, walked to start the inning. Sydney Pennington reached on a hit that got past Carlie Scupin at first, and moved to second when Hannah Martinez — a late-inning defensive replacement for Paige Dimler in right field — struggled to field the hit.

With runners on second and third, Petty delivered the game-winner.

“I thought when (Bowen) got out of that (fifth inning), it rolled her into the next one,” UA coach Caitlin Lowe said. “I thought she had the stuff to get through them.”

It was a pitcher’s duel for the first five innings of the game. Bowen gave up only one run on three hits during the first five frames, while OSU’s Kelly Maxwell struck out eight batters and gave up two hits.

Maxwell had not given up any runs in postseason before Thursday’s game. The four runs are the most given up by Bowen in the postseason. She walked four, struck out two, gave up all four earned runs on five hits in a 99-pitch performance. Devyn Netz replaced her in the sixth, getting three outs.

The Wildcats had a chance in the seventh. Jasmine Perezchica singled to lead off the frame, but Janelle Meoño, Palacios and Allie Skaggs all struck out. Lowe said she couldn’t have asked for a better shot.

“Here’s the thing: I choose Jasmine getting on and I choose Janelle and Shar and Skaggs in that same scenario over and over and over again and they’re going to get those chances again, probably tomorrow, and I still want them in those moments,” Lowe said.

Besides the one error late in the game, Arizona’s defense showed up from the start. Izzy Pacho caught another ball in foul territory — this time against Oklahoma State’s dugout. Perezchica ran and slid for an inning-ending out in the second. Dimler grabbed a ball that bounced off the fence and threw a strike to Sophia Carroll to nail Pennington at second in the third, stopping a Cowgirls rally.

After Thursday’s loss, Lowe began talking to the Wildcats to get them in the right mindset for Friday’s game.

“One pitch can change the course of the game, and they have to believe that the next pitch is going to be their best pitch,” she said.  “I think that hope and that working towards the next one because it’s going to turn around. I think that’s what we’ve been doing all postseason,” Lowe said. “We start striking out we end with base hits that matter. I think just keeping their heads screwed on and knowing that the next one is going to be better.”

• Elish’s sister, Madi, is a freshman pitcher for the Wildcats. While two sisters playing in the same WCWS is rare, it’s not unheard of. In 2006, Lowe — then a star UA outfielder — faced her sister, Paige, a freshman at Oregon State. Arizona won the opening matchup, 3-2, with Lowe scoring the winning run in the ninth inning. Lowe went 3 for 5 in that game, scoring two runs.

Lowe said that the Elish sisters saw each other at a WCWS banquet Wednesday night and took photos.

“Then it’s less about softball, more about family,” Lowe said. “I actually played my sister at the world series, and it was rough. (It’s rougher) for the parents and I think that’s where it will be more interesting to see how her (Madi’s) parents do in the crowd. It’s exciting. They are both at the top level of their game. It’s just so cool to see a family go thru (this). They must be really proud and probably have a lot of anxiety to go with it.”