TUCSON, Ariz. - Taylor McQuillin sent down the last nine batters she faced to help Arizona beat Ole Miss, 5-2, Friday evening in the opener of the NCAA Super Regionals here at Hillenbrand Memorial Stadium.
 
Alyssa Palomino-Cardoza and Malia Martinez combined for six hits and four RBI in the closely contested game. McQuillin struck out nine, walked four and gave up five hits.
 
The victory moves the Wildcats (46-12) one victory away from a berth in the Women's College World Series next week in Oklahoma City. Game two in the best-of-three Super Regional will be at 5 p.m. Saturday.
 
Brittany Finney (18-10) took the loss for the Rebels (41-20).
 
The Rebels put together a short-game rally in the first. Kylan Becker led off the game with her 82nd hit of the year, and stole her 33rd base on a swinging strikeout by Abbey Latham. Autumn Gillespie drew a walk to put two aboard. On another swinging strikeout, by Jessica Puk, Becker and Gillespie pulled a double steal and put two in scoring position.
 
An error by shortstop Jessie Harper on a Kaylee Horton roller allowed Becker to score. Brittany Finney walked to load the bases, but UA starter Taylor McQuillin (23-7) got a fly ball to strand three.
 
Arizona responded. Palomino-Cardoza hit an infield single and after a fielder's choice by Jessie Harper, Malia Martinez hit an RBI double down the left field line to knot the score at 1-1.
 
Ole Miss kept up the pressure. After two strikeouts Becker singled through the left side and Latham doubled down the left field line, taking third on the throw to the plate. McQuillin struck out Gillespie, but the Rebels had a 2-1 lead.
 
Arizona answered against Ole Miss starter Finney. The Wildcats got a two-out infield single by Hannah Martinez who advanced to second on a muffed throw at first. Nine-hole hitter Carli Campbell singled her to third, and Palomino-Cardoza collected an RBI single to left to tie the score at two apiece.
 
Ole Miss put two more runners in scoring position in the third when Finney drew a two-out walk and advanced to second on an infield single by Tate Whitley. Amanda Roth was hit by a pitch to load the bases, but McQuillin struck out pinch hitter Gabby Alvarez to strand three runners again.
 
The Cats got a leadoff double from Malia Martinez but couldn't capitalize in the home third.
 
McQuillin got her first three-up, three-down inning in the fourth, taking care of Ole Miss's top of the order.
 
The Cats short-gamed their way to a 4-2 lead in the home half. Hanah Bowen singled to right, was bunted over by Hannah Martinez, moved to third on a Campbell single and scored on a sacrifice fly by Palomino-Cardoza. Harper singled up the middle and a wild pitch moved both runners up. Malia Martinez singled up the middle for a run but Harper was cut down at the plate on a throw by centerfielder Becker.
 
The Cats scrapped together another run with an out in the UA fifth. Riley Pierce reached on an error and took third on a throwing error off an infield roller by Reyna Carranco. Bowen hit into a fielder's choice and then Hannah Martinez hit an RBI single to right center to make it 5-2.
 
Martinez collected her fourth hit in the sixth, one third of the Wildcats' 12 base knocks off Finney, who had won her last three decisions in the postseason.
 
UA drew a crowd of 2,729 for the game.