With both teams coming off opening day wins on Friday, the Arizona baseball team and University of Oklahoma took the field under the bright lights of Globe Life Field Saturday night. It was a pitchers duel early on, but the Wildcats’ bats were ultimately too much for the Sooners as Arizona defeated Oklahoma 14-4 to advance to 2-0 on the season.
Senior Garrett Irvin took the mound for Arizona making his first start of the season. He was able to work around one runner on base in the first two innings before tossing a clean 1-2-3 third inning.
It was that next half inning in the third where the Wildcats’ bats exploded first after being held scoreless in the first two innings.
Freshman Garen Caulfield would get the rally started with a single up the middle, his first hit as a Wildcat. Nik McClaughry followed with a single of his own before Mac Bingham hit a hard line drive that Oklahoma centerfielder Tanner Tredaway completely misplayed, taking a couple of steps in before he quickly saw the ball go over his head.
Daniel Susac walked on four pitches to put runners on the corners when Tanner O’Tremba roped a 2-run triple of his own off the wall in right-center that scored Bingham and Susac.
The Wildcats put a couple more runners on base that inning before Oklahoma starter David Sandlin was finally able to work his way out of the inning after allowing 5 runs on six hits to give Arizona an early lead.
The Sooners were able to answer quickly in the fourth inning. After Irvin cruised through the first three innings, Oklahoma put two runners on base immediately in the fourth with a single and walk. It seemed like Irvin had a chance to escape the jam, getting the next two hitters out and jumping ahead 0-2 in the count to the next hitter. However, he threw four straight balls to load the bases before falling behind 3-0 in the count to the following hitter. Irvin went on to allow a single that scored 2 runs to cut the Arizona lead to 5-2.
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That was it for Irvin, going four innings while allowing 2 runs on three hits with five strikeouts to two walks and throwing 81 pitches.
Quinn Flanagan took over for Irvin out of the bullpen for the Wildcats. Oklahoma would add on 1 more run in the fifth inning before the Wildcats countered with two runs of their own in the bottom half of the fifth on back-to-back two-out doubles hit by Tyler Casagrande and Blake Paugh.
Flanagan would go 2.1 innings in relief, allowing 2 runs on four hits with four strikeouts and earned the win.
The seventh inning saw the Wildcats blow the game wide open pouring in 7 runs. O’Tremba led the frame off with a solo home run, his second in as many games. He finished the night 3-5 at the plate with 3 runs driven in and a double away from the cycle.
Transfer Chris Barraza made his first appearance as a Wildcat recording the final two outs of the seventh inning before freshman Josh Randall pitched the final two innings to close out the win for Arizona.
The Wildcats will be back out on the field at Globe Life Field on Sunday afternoon against Texas Tech with first pitch scheduled for 1:30 p.m. MST.
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