OKLAHOMA CITY – One day after she was named the best catcher in the country, Dejah Mulipola let it be known that 23 might just be a lucky number for the Arizona Wildcats.
 
With two outs and one runner on in the eighth inning, Mulipola, who was named the NFCA Catcher of the Year on Wednesday, launched a home run to straightaway centerfield to propel the sixth-seeded Wildcats to a 3-1 victory over Washington in the opener of Arizona's 23^rd Women's College World Series appearance.
 
The home run was – you guessed it – Mulipola's 23^rd of the season.
 
None have been larger.

"I was trying to breathe and see a pitch," Mulipola said about her dramatic home run. "I happened to see one. Actually, I didn't think it was out. When I tell that to everyone, they don't believe me. That's why I was so excited running around first base when it did go over."
 
Taylor McQuillin pitched a scoreless bottom of the eighth to cap off a gem for the senior left-hander and improved Arizona to 48-12 on the season. Washington dropped to 50-8. The Wildcats will now await the winner of No. 2 UCLA vs. No. 7 Minnesota in a winners game Saturday at Hall of Fame Stadium.
 
Mulipola, a first-team NFCA All-American and a first-team All-Pac-12 pick has now homered in two straight games for the Wildcats in the postseason. And one day after she teamed with McQuillin to become the first Arizona battery to be named first-team NFCA All-Americans since 1998, the two put together a performance that won't be forgotten anytime soon by Arizona fans.

"It's a very special performance by those two," coach Mike Candrea said. "As a coach when you recruit them, you hope this day comes to fruition. Both of them have worked extremely hard in this game and have a very strong passion to be the very best. It doesn't surprise me that they performed at this level. They have both grown a lot mentally."
 
McQuillin was sharp at the onset of Game 1 for the Wildcats at WCWS No. 23. The senior worked around a hit by pitch to post a scoreless first inning, picking up a pair of strikeouts. McQuillin struck out cleanup hitter Emma Helm after a 12-pitch battle to get out of the inning and strand a runner at first.
 
In the second, McQuillin again struck out a pair, this time after allowing a runner to get into scoring position. Taryn Atlee singled to lead off the inning and moved to second on a one-out wild pitch. But McQuillin picked up back-to-back strikeouts of Madison Huskey and SilentRain Espinoza to end the inning. The lefty then worked her first one-two-three inning in the third, getting a pair of pop outs and a groundout.
 
Malia Martinez doubled to right field with one out in the fourth inning to secure Arizona's first hit of the game. It was Martinez's third double of the postseason after just five in the regular season. The junior was stranded at second, however, after a strikeout and a groundout.
 
McQuillin responded to Washington pitcher Taran Alvelo stranding Martinez and put up another zero of her own. She again worked around a walk and a wild pitch, posting a pair of strikeouts to get to six through four innings.
 
She then battled her first true adversity of the game in the fifth when two reached with two outs to bring up Washington catcher Morganne Flores and her 22 home runs and .361 batting average. After falling behind 2-1, McQuillin got Flores to ground out to Jessie Harper at shortstop for the final out of the inning.
 
In the sixth, Harper gave Arizona a 1-0 lead with a solo home run to right field for her NCAA-leading 30^th long ball of the season. But in the bottom half of the inning, Washington tied it up to send the game to the seventh all tied at one.
 
McQuillin had some more near-danger in the seventh when two were on with one out for Flores. Flores flew one to deep right-center, but Arizona centerfielder Alyssa Palomino-Cardoza tracked it down and secured the second out of the inning. McQuillin got the next batter to ground out to get out of the inning and set up Mulipola's heroics in the eighth.

"It's our first time here; there's butterflies everywhere," McQuillin said. "Our team's motto is 'One Team, One Heartbeat.' It's ok to go out and be a little nervous."