2015 NCAA Softball Championships
Tucson Regional
Saturday, May 17
Game 7: Minnesota vs. Arizona
TUCSON, Ariz.--Chelsea Suitos tripled with one out in the bottom of the eighth -- her first career three-bagger -- and scored on a Kellie Fox single to give Arizona a wild 7-6 comeback victory and send the Wildcats to a berth in a Super Regional at Baton Rouge, La., and host LSU, next weekend.
The rally's two hits made 23 total for the game, which featured roller-coaster of emotions for both squads. Minnesota had taken Game 6 from UA to force the nightcap and had a two-run lead entering the bottom of the seventh. The Gophers ended their season 49-11.
UA (41-18) starter Trish Parks (16-6) won in relief -- re-entering the game for the final three Minnesota batters in the eighth after throwing only one-plus innings to open the game. Michelle Floyd threw five and one-third frames for UA but left after giving up a base hit in the eighth.
Minnesota's Sara Groenewegen (31-7) took the loss -- and she also started, and re-entered the game.
The Golden Gophers scored four runs in the seventh to erase a two-run UA lead, punctuated by a two-out, three-run home run by Taylor LeMay to take away a two-run UA advantage. Arizona scored twice in the bottom of the frame to force extra innings.
As in the first game, Arizona had some control in the late game, and needed just one out to secure the win, but a two-out rally included a walk and a single before the blast by LeMay.
Minnesota started fast with a leadoff single by Sam Macken, a fielder's choice by Danielle Parlich and a wild pitch by Trish Parks to move Parlich into scoring position -- which came on a double to center an out later from Kaitlyn Richardson to make it 1-0.
The Gophers started ace Sara Groenwegen, who threw all but three innings of the Gophers' four games in Tucson entering Game 7. She had struck out nine Wildcats -- tying Arizona's season high -- and scattered seven hits in the 5-1 victory to set up the showdown Sunday night.
Parks lasted an inning and two-thirds. The Gophers added an unearned run in the second on an error by Luaren Young and a pair of two-out singles, the RBI coming from Macken. UA brought in Michelle Floyd to pitch.
Arizona took the lead, 3-2, with a rally in the third. Hallie Wilson ripped a one-out solo home run off Groenewegen to start things for the Cats. Chelsea Suitos beat out an infield single and stole second. Kelly Fox drew a walk, and both moved into scoring position on a wild pitch, and then Suitos scored on another wild pitch with a slide at the plate. Katiyana Mauga then singled to right to score Fox. Minnesota lifted Groenewegen and brought in lefty Nikki Anderson who got two quick outs to end the rally.
UA had a huge opportunity with a Wilson single, a walk to Suitos and a single by Fox to load the bases with no outs in the fifth. But Anderson got a liner to first and then second baseman Danielle Parlich took a grounder by Chelsea Goodacre, tagged Fox and threw out Mauga for a double play to strand two.
The Cats left a bigger platterful in the sixth. With one out, Lauren Young was hit by a pitch. Mandie Perez's ground ball was handled by the first baseman but mishandled by the shortstop for all hands safe. On Ashleigh Hughes' grounder, pinch runner Eva Watson beat the throw to third to load the bases.Hallie Wilson singled in one run to make it 4-2, but a Suitos fielder's choice forced Perez at the plate and Fox struck out looking to strand three runners.
The Golden Gophers scored four runs in the seventh to erase a two-run UA lead, punctuated by a two-out, three-run home run by Taylor LeMay to put the pressure on the Wildcats.
As in the first game, Arizona had some control in the late game, and needed just one out, but two two-out rally included a walk and a single before the blast by LeMay.
Arizona clawed back from the dead with a leadoff single by Mauga and a home run to the opposite field in left by Goodacre to knot the game again, 6-6. After two errors by Minnesota, the Cats had two aboard. Another double play by Parlich moved pinch runner Aireal Sakasegawa to third, but Hughes lined to left for the third out.
After a walk and a hit by Macken in the top of the eighth, UA lifted Floyd and brought back Parks to pitch. She got a force play, struck out Groenewegen and a groundout to strand the pair.
Suitos’ one out triple was plated by Fox’s walkoff hit to left to win it.
Only two teams have won an NCAA Regional held in Tucson, Arizona (20) and Louisiana-Lafayette, which topped the Cats in 2004. In six Super Regionals in Tucson, only Oklahoma (2011) has beaten the Wildcats.
Arizona Head Coach Mike Candrea
Opening statement...
"I listened to Hillenbrand Stadium at the end and it was why this place is so special. The kids made it special at the end with a great, gutsy performance. That is what the postseason is all about. As a coach you can feel good that this team has learned to compete and battle. We're excited to move on and play in Baton Rouge."
On the seniors...
"You knows that they have the database and maturity. They have been through some tough and good times, but they were well prepared. You would hope that your seniors would step up in the clutch and they did. Goodacre's home run was the biggest she has ever hit and Suitos was the one that made it happen at the end. I was also pleased to see Trish (Parks) come back in and shut the door and that was hopefully a huge step for her."
On advancing to the Super Regionals...
"That's why you put the uniform on, to make it to the College World Series. It's been a goal for us all year and next week will be a test for us when we play LSU. You have to go out and beat them because they won't beat themselves. They're on a high and we're on a high, so it'll be a matter of who executes."
Arizona Catcher Chelsea Goodacre
On what she said to Michelle Floyd after Minnesota's home run in the seventh...
"I told her that you have nothing to lose because our bats can compete with anyone out there. I told her that we have her back no matter what and that we were going to fight to get those runs back."
Arizona Outfielder Chelsea Suitos
On the last few innings...
"Since it was possibly our last game as seniors, we wanted to come in and shut the door in the seventh. We got behind and our backs were against the wall and that was a little scary, but it was nothing our team couldn't handle."
On advancing in the tournament...
"Being able to live up to the tradition is always brought up. We want to build our own legacy though. In this game it can come down to one strike. We have a young group in the circle and an older group in the field and we've fought together all year."
Arizona Infielder Kellie Fox
On the game...
"We showed a lot of heart today. We knew that we were going to battle until the very end and that's what we did. We laid it all on the line and played together. At the end I took and inside pitch and hit it well, so it was a good way to end the weekend."
On advancing in the tournament...
"Our goal is to get to the College World Series and the whole team is behind us. The young players want to do it for the team and for the seniors as well. We're ready for it."
2015 NCAA Softball Championships
Tucson Regional
Saturday, May 17
Game 6: Arizona vs. Minnesota
TUCSON--Paige Palkovich's grand slam home run in the bottom of the seventh lifted Minnesota (49-10) to a 5-2 victory over host Arizona (40-18) and kept the Gophers alive in NCAA Softball Championships regional play here at Hillenbrand Stadium.
Minnesota forced a seventh game to follow at 6:35 p.m., with the winner headed to Baton Rouge, La., next week for Super Regional action.
UA pitchers Michelle Floyd and Trish Parks had combined for a three-hitter to that point -- although all Minnesota runs came off homers.
Parks (15-6) gave up three consecutive hits before getting help on a force at the plate, but Palkovich lifted a pitch into the stands shortly after for the walk-off victory.
With Minnesota as the home team, leadoff hitter Sam Macken opened the bottom of the first with her seventh home run of the year, over the batter's eye in straightaway center, to post the first run off Floyd.
UA put a runner in scoring position inthe second but couldn't cash in. Katiyana Mauga led off with a single and with two outs moved up on a dropped popup by Minnesota shortstop Dani Wagner. Pitcher Sara Groenewegen (31-6) got a popup from Lauren Young to strand two runners.
The Gophers got a leadoff singled from Taylor LeMay in the bottom of the second, but the Cats turned a nifty 3-6-3 double play between Hallie Wilson and shotstop Kelly Fox.
The two teamed for UA's first run in the third. Wilson hit a one-out double and Fox hit a two-out double. Groenewegen pitched around Mauga, walker her, and hit Chelsea Goodacre with a pitch to load the bases, but struck out Mandie Perez to leave three aboard.
The Cats turned a more unorthodox double play to get out of trouble in the bottom of the inning. With two on after a walk, fielder's choice and a single, Chelsea Suitos came in hard to snare Groenewegen's liner to left, and doubled up Macken at second.
Arizona took the lead in the fourth and this time the Golden Gophers avoided a bigger inning. Mo Mercado led off with a single and moved to second on a sac bunt by Young that was mishandled to make her safe at first. Ashleigh Hughes singled to drive in Mercado, and Wilson singled to load the bases with no outs. Groenewegen bore down and got two popups and struck out Mauga for the third out. That gave UA eight runners left on base through four innings.
UA went to the bullpen in favor of Trish Parks in the bottom of the inning and she retired the next four batters before hitting Paige Palkovich with a pitch with one out in the fifth. UA catcher Goodacre gunned her down trying to steal second an out later.
Groenewegen rertired the sides in the fifth and sixth innings, striking out three. Mauga doubled with one out in the top of the seventh but Minnesota's aced allowed only that baserunner in the last three frames.
Kaitlyn Richardson, Granger and Taylor LeMay had singles in the seventh to fuel the winning rally.
Only two teams have won an NCAA Regional held in Tucson, Arizona (20) and Louisiana-Lafayette, which topped the Cats in 2004. In six Super Regionals in Tucson, only Oklahoma (2011) has beaten the Wildcats.
