COLUMBIA, Mo. – Arizona (34-20) took down Illinois (34-21), 8-3, to move into the winner's bracket of the Columbia Regional. The Cats scored eight runs on 12 hits, with seven RBI.
 
Four home runs and five Wildcats with multiple hits led the Cats to their first win of the 2022 NCAA Tournament. Blaise Biringer and Sharlize Palacios each had a home run and two RBI. Izzy Pacho and Allie Skaggs had the other two homers for Arizona.
 
Illinois scored two runs in the first to take the early lead on a two-RBI double.  
 
Izzy Pacho hit her 10th home run of the season – a solo shot to left center – to make it a one-run game in the top of the second.
 
Arizona scored three runs in the third to take the lead. Palacios hit a two-run homer for the lead. Skaggs followed Palacios with her 23rd home run of the season to give the Wildcats a two-run lead over the Illini.
 
The Wildcats' offense exploded for four runs in the fifth. Arizona scored one on an Illinois error and Scupin brought in another with an RBI single. Biringer smashed her second home run of the season – a two-RBI bomb – to give Arizona a six-run lead.
 
Illinois scored one in the seventh on an RBI single, but stranded a runner when Arizona got the final two outs of the game.
 
Bowen (11-10) pitched a complete game to pick up the win. She struck out eight batters and retired ten-straight Illini.
 
Up Next:
Arizona will face No. 15 seed Missouri at 11:30 a.m. MST on Saturday, May 20.