Jessica Spigner rounds the bases after hitting a home run against Notre Dame on Sunday. Photo by Andy Morales, TucsonCitizen.com

It was one swing.

Just one swing. One swing that came after 77 at-bats with a home run.

Arizona senior first baseman Jessica Spigner, a transfer from Tennessee, slumped late in the season. Coach Mike Candrea projected her as a middle-of-the-order slugger but moved her down closer to the bottom of the order as Spigner struggled for several weeks.

And then came a swing that made everything better. It came in the bottom of the sixth inning against Oregon State on the final day of the regular season.

Spigner, who had been working with Candrea to simplify her swing, eliminate excess movement, sent a pitch from Marina Demore over the fence to tie the game at 1.

Arizona went on to win 3-1 on a walk-off home run from Brigette Del Ponte, a victory that helped the Cats stay at home for last weekend’s NCAA regional.

Spigner called that home run against Oregon State “good for the soul.”

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Jessica Spigner

When the Arizona Wildcats softball team was eliminated from an NCAA Super Regional, coach Mike Candrea promised change.

In less than a month, he has added a power-hitting transfer and lost a backup infielder.

The transfer is Jessica Spigner, a corner infielder from Tennessee who projects into the middle of Arizona’s lineup for the 2012 season. Spigner will have one season of eligibility at UA after hitting 38 home runs with the Vols.

“I know Arizona was a place she was interested in; she had come to some of our camps,” Candrea said Thursday afternoon.

“It just so happened that things did not work out (at Tennessee) and she was looking for a place. She has done a pretty good job of swinging the bat for Tennessee, so she brings great experience at this level.

“We could have a kid who could hit 15, 20 home runs and drive in a lot of runs.”

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