Arizona's Kristie Fox is hugged by Caitlin Lowe, facing camera, and engulfed by teammates after hitting a game-ending home run in the bottom of the ninth inning.

James S. wood / arizona daily star

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OKLAHOMA CITY — Mike Candrea had a hunch.

His team was entering the bottom of the ninth inning Thursday, tied at 1 with Baylor in their Women's College World Series opener. Candrea looked toward his bench while shortstop Kristie Fox walked to the plate to start the inning.

"I walked over, and I said, 'When she hits a home run, make sure you stay behind the plate,'" Candrea said.

Candrea did not want his team illegally touching Fox before she would, theoretically, reach home plate.

"Took a gamble," he said, "and called a shot on Fox."

The senior ripped a first-pitch change-up over the left field wall for a 2-1 victory. She had decided to "take a big hack" on the first pitch and then worry about reaching base. It worked.

"They told me when I came home, 'Coach called it,'" a beaming Fox said.

The Wildcats advanced to play Tennessee at 6 p.m. tonight at ASA Hall of Fame Stadium. Vols pitcher Monica Abbott no-hit Texas A&M on Thursday while striking out 16 to set the NCAA single-season strikeout record at 665.

In last year's WCWS opener against Oregon State, the Wildcats had a runner on second with Fox coming up. Candrea told Fox in the on-deck circle that she was going to win the game, and she said, "I know, Coach."

Fox singled — in the ninth inning, no less — for the win.

Last year, the Wildcats earned the task of facing Texas all-everything pitcher Cat Osterman in the second round — and beat her.

Candrea has coached both Abbott and Osterman on the USA national team. When asked whether his experience this past summer with Abbott gave him a good scouting report, Candrea paused awkwardly.

"Could," he said.

The UA had a monster pitcher of its own Thursday. Taryne Mowatt threw 156 pitches and seemed to get stronger as the game progressed. The junior struck out six of the last seven hitters she faced, retiring her last 13 in a row.

"In that situation, it comes down to who has more heart," said Mowatt, who allowed two hits and four walks in nine innings.

But it was Fox's name that was all over the scorecard.

She doubled in the fourth inning, advancing to third on a single and scoring on a Laine Roth grounder to short. She finished 3 for 3 and scored the team's two runs.

Defensively, she saved her team in the fifth, but only after a series of unusual plays.

With two outs, a passed ball moved Kirsten Shortridge to third base and Brette Reagan to second.

The next pitch, Mowatt threw a ball to Chelsi Lake, who checked her swing.

The ball kicked to the backstop, and catcher Callista Balko paused for a second before chasing after it.

She and UA coach Mike Candrea both thought the ball was tipped.

"Sometimes I felt there was more people than nine out there tonight," Candrea said of the umpires.

It was ruled Balko's third passed ball in as many innings.

"Whether it was a foul ball or not, we found a way to score a run," Baylor coach Glenn Moore said.

Lake walked, bringing up Courtney Oberg. With runners on first and second, Oberg ripped a line drive up the middle. Moving to her left, Fox caught the liner on the edge of her glove like a snow cone.

"I had to run as hard as I could and stretch my little arm out there," Fox said.

The big bat would come later.

● Before Thursday, there had been 15 no-hitters in WCWS history.

Afterward, there were 17 — and almost 18. Washington's Danielle Lawrie did not allow a hit in the Huskies' 3-1 win against DePaul. Lawrie has no one to blame but herself for the run, however — her throwing error to first scored the run.

It marked the first time in tournament history a pitcher threw a no-hitter but gave up a run.

Abbott walked the bases loaded in the first — and was so rattled that she had seven meetings at the mound during the inning — but settled down to throw a no-no against Texas A&M.

Northwestern's Eileen Canney gave up one hit in a 2-0 victory against Arizona State.

● Northwestern successfully avoided NCAA batting champion Kaitlin Cochran. The Wildcats walked ASU's .495 hitter in all three at-bats.

"We didn't want Cochran to beat us today," Northwestern coach Kate Drohan said.