Ole Miss Upsets Arizona in Softball Regional Showdown

TUCSON, Ariz. – No. 17 Ole Miss softball pulled off an upset against No. 13 overall seed Arizona, winning 10-8 at Hillenbrand Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

The Rebels carried their momentum from a victory over No. 24 Grand Canyon the previous night, and they struck first, scoring four runs in the first inning, highlighted by a three-run home run from Persy Llamas.

Arizona responded quickly, scoring three runs in the bottom half of the inning. Angelina DeLeon put Ole Miss back in the lead with a solo homer in the second, but the Wildcats fought back, scoring two runs in both the third and fourth innings to take a 7-5 lead.

In the fifth inning, Llamas hit her second home run, sparking a comeback. Alongside Lexie Brady’s single and Mackenzie Pickens drawing a hit-by-pitch, they set up the game-winning three-run blast by Taylor Roman, extending Ole Miss’s lead to 9-7.

Miali Guachino was pivotal, retiring the Wildcats in order in the fifth. Arizona nearly retook the lead in the sixth, loading the bases, but Guachino escaped the threat unscathed.

Brady padded the lead with a solo homer in the seventh, becoming Ole Miss’s all-time single-season home run leader. Although Arizona managed to add one run late, the Rebels maintained their advantage, closing out the win to take control of the Tucson Regional.

The day also included an elimination game between Grand Canyon and Santa Clara, with the winner set to face Arizona. The winner of this matchup will earn the chance to take on Ole Miss in the regional final on Sunday.