CORVALLIS, Ore. -- Arizona scored seven runs in the top of sixth inning to break a 2-2 tie, leading the way to a 9-3 victory over Oregon State in game 1 of the three game series.
The Wildcats and the Beavers were locked in a pitcher's duel through four innings, with Oregon State holding a 2-0 edge thanks to a pair of solo homers, its only two hits of the contest. With two down in the fifth, Kellie Fox hit an opposite-field, game-tying two-run homer of the foul pole in right to tie the game, kickstarting the Wildcat offense, which went on to plate seven runs in the sixth.
Arizona's pitching duo of Michelle Floyd and Trish Parks tossed a combined three-hitter, while joining to strike out six Beavers in the seven innings. Floyd went four innings and allowed just two hits, two solo homers, with three strikeouts and three walks. Parks pitched the final three innings and earned the victory in relief to improve to 10-4 on the year. Parks allowed one run on one hit with three strikeouts, one walk and three hit batsmen.
Fox led the way for Arizona, going 2-for-4 with a home run, a double and four RBI. It marked Fox's eighth consecutive game with a hit, tying her career-best hitting streak.
Hallie Wilson also extended her hitting streak with a pair of hits in the contest. Wilson's season-long hitting streak now sits at 12 games, three shy of her career mark.
Mandie Perez picked a pair of key RBI when her two-run double broke a 2-2 tie in sixth, opening the flood gates on a seven-run frame. All runs scored over the span of eight batters.
Arizona appeared poised to draw first blood in the third inning against OSU reliever Taylor Cotton, who entered for starter Beverly Miller, who took a Chelsea Goodacre line drive to the face in the second. Arizona had runners at the corners with nobody out for the top of the order, but the first caught-stealing of the year by a UA baserunner helped Cotton get out of the inning unscathed.
Oregon State did not record a hit against Floyd until Mikela Manewa hit a home run to left in the third inning to break the scoreless tie. Floyd retired the next three batters before CJ Chirichigno hit another solo homer in the fourth to put OSU up 2-0.
Ashleigh Hughes, who went 1-for-1 with a pair of walks and two runs scored, led off the top of the fifth with a walk and, after a pair of pop outs, scored on Fox's two-run game-tying homer to right. It was Fox's seventh homer of the season.
In the sixth, Arizona had one on with one out before the next six batters went single, double, walk, double, single, double to turn a tie game into a six-run Arizona lead. It was Perez's double that broke the tie and begin the onslaught.
Oregon State plated one run in the bottom of the seventh, but it would be all the Beavers could manage as Arizona took game 1 9-3.
