Sports

Two-out, walk-off grand slam rallies Wildcats past No. 3 Cal

Next on Kristie Fox's list of prophecies: picking this week's winning numbers in Powerball. Fox's walk-off grand slam with two outs in the seventh inning rallied second-ranked Arizona to a 4-2 win over No. 3 California before 2,038 fans Saturday night at Hillenbrand Stadium. "I had no doubt in my mind that this team could do it, and I knew this comeback was going to happen in that inning," said Fox, who lined the first pitch she saw from Cal's Kristina Thorson (13-3) just over the wall in left-center. "That's just how this team is," added Fox. "We were pumped. Every person knew what they had to do, and they did it." In a comeback more befitting of its classic battles with UCLA, Arizona (28-2, 2-0 Pac-10) avoided losing at home to Cal (30-4, 1-1) for the first time since 1999. The rally came together in the oddest of fashions. After pinch hitter Courtney Fossatti led off the seventh with a walk, pinch runner Candace Abrams was forced out at second on a grounder by Crystal Farley. Farley then was forced at second on a fielder's choice by Allison Von Liechtenstein. That put the Wildcats down to their last out. Caitlin Lowe bounced softly up the first base line, but Julie Meyer's throw to force Von Liechtenstein at second went off shortstop Chelsea Spencer's glove, giving the UA another chance. The error brought light-hitting junior Autumn Champion to the plate. Champion, despite hitting higher than .450 for her career, entered the game with only three extra-base hits in two-plus seasons. But instead of swinging away Champion laid down a textbook bunt that died in front of the plate, loading the bases and setting the stage for Fox's heroics. "In that situation, I know who's coming up behind me," Champion said. "I know that if I get on … that's the most important thing. Obviously, I'm not going to try and muscle up and do something I've never done before." Fox's homer snapped a 3-for-22 slump that had dropped her average under .400 after a torrid first six weeks of the season. "My swing was always there," said Fox, who leads the UA in home runs (eight) and is the Pac-10 leader in RBIs with 44. "It was just getting good pitches (to hit)," said Fox. "I was missing everything. I knew it would come around, and I knew it would happen in that last inning." UA coach Mike Candrea praised the efforts of his players in the seventh, and though he enjoys a nice walk-off win as much as the next guy, the veteran coach says he would prefer to have the rallies start a little sooner. "At home, it's nice to have that seventh inning where you can get it done, but I don't want to wait until the seventh," Candrea said. "We've got to take that same urgency that we had in the seventh, with our backs to the wall, and bring it in the first inning. We've got to be a little more proactive." Cal took a 1-0 lead in the first on a leadoff triple by Vicky Galindo and a suicide squeeze bunt by Lindsay James. The Golden Bears raised the lead to 2-0 in the fourth on an RBI single by Kaleo Eldredge, who was 3 for 4. Lost amid the late-game heroics was the 100th career victory for UA junior Alicia Hollowell (19-1), who became the 41st player in NCAA history to reach that milestone. Hollowell struck out nine, giving her 268 for the season. Cal and Arizona complete their two-game set at 1 p.m. today. Inside pitch

● The start times for Arizona's home games Friday and Saturday have been changed. Friday game against Oregon State will start at 7:30 p.m., while Saturday's contest with Oregon is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m.