Call him Mr. Two-out RBI.
Brad Glenn drilled a two-out, 1-2 fastball to the gap in right center field in the bottom of the 11th to score C.J. Ziegler from third and lift No. 17 Arizona over California, 1-0, last night at Sancet Stadium.
“”I knew he was going to come with (the fastball) and I sent it to the gap,”” the sophomore designated hitter said.
Twenty-four of Glenn’s 38 RBIs this season have come with two outs.
“”Last year, I was brutal with two strikes, with two outs, even with runners in scoring position, I was brutal, and that’s one thing I told myself this offseason, is that I’ve got to find a way to get it done,”” he said. “”I guess I have found a way to get it done.””
Glenn had a career-high five RBIs in Arizona’s 17-14 win over then-No. 4 Oregon State Sunday.
“”He’s got that makeup in him, I talk about it all the time. In fact, if you walk by our clubhouse, I have something on the eraser board that says, ‘Do you have it?'”” said UA head coach Andy Lopez.
“”Some guys have ‘it.’ He’s close to getting ‘it.’ I won’t say he has ‘it’ yet, but he’s pretty doggone close to ‘it.’ “”
Arizona vs. Cal
Today’s starters:
Brad Mills, LHP (6-2, 2.62 ERA) vs. Alex Rolin, Jr. RHP (6-1, 3.88)
Saturday starters:
Ryan Perry, RHP (0-0, 6.55) vs. TBA
Look for Jon Gaston, the reigning Pac-10 Player of the Week, to return to the starting lineup today after pinch-hitting in yesterday’s game while recovering from having his wisdom teeth pulled.
Then Saturday, Perry, who missed the first five weeks of the season, moves into the rotation for the first time this year, replacing lefty David Coulon (2-1, 5.24).
– Ryan Casey
It was the 12th-straight win for Arizona (26-6, 4-0 Pacific 10 Conference). The Golden Bears dropped to 17-15 and 2-2 in conference.
Before Glenn’s heroics, it was all about the mound.
Neither starter surrendered a run, with Arizona righty Preston Guilmet going nine innings for the third consecutive game.
Guilmet finished with six strikeouts against four walks on 125 pitches. It was the first time he didn’t factor in the decision since Feb. 23 at UNLV.
The Bears’ Tyson Ross, who entered the game with a Pac-10 best 69 strikeouts, threw 122 pitches in eight innings, striking out five while walking four.
“”We both just went out and threw our asses off,”” said Guilmet, whose 62 punch-outs on the year were second only to Ross in the conference entering the game.
Ross allowed just four hits.
“”He matched Guilmet inning-for-inning,”” Glenn said of Ross. “”Every time he went out, he was competing.””
Both relievers picked up right where the starters left off.
Cal closer Matt Gorgen (1-2) retired the first seven batters he faced, striking out four, before walking Ziegler and allowing the game-winning hit and the unearned run.
Arizona freshman Jason Stoffel (3-0) was equally as impressive, allowing just one base runner in two innings of work and picking up the win.
“”Being under that pressure, coming in 0-0, obviously I’m not – Preston threw a great game, I was just trying to just keep it under control and give our offense a little bit more time to win the game,”” Stoffel said.
Added Lopez: “”Obviously, both starters were magnificent, both guys out of the ‘pen were magnificent. We just got one big hit that they didn’t.””
In the 11th, right fielder Bill Rhinehart flew out to center with Ziegler on first, but Cal center fielder Brett Jackson threw the ball away trying to catch Ziegler off of first and the ball rolled into the dugout. Ziegler was awarded third, setting the stage for Glenn.
“”Obviously, both starters were magnificent, both guys out of the ‘pen were magnificent. We just got one big hit that they didn’t.””
– Andy Lopez,
UA head coach
Cal had runners on first and second with no outs in the seventh, but UA third baseman Erik Castro made a sliding play to field a bunt and throw out the lead runner at third before Guilmet got Cal’s Stephen Carlson to ground into an inning-ending double play.
After Arizona stranded a runner on third in the bottom half of the inning, Guilmet got more solid defense behind him, this time from a dig in the hole by shortstop Robert Abel that kept a runner at second from scoring.
“”Those were huge plays,”” Guilmet said. “”The one where they threw to third to get the lead runner, that was probably one of the biggest plays out there, just to get that lead runner, get him out and get an out in the inning, especially that late in the game.””
Extra bases
With Jon Gaston, Arizona’s usual right fielder, sitting to rest from having his wisdom teeth removed earlier in the week, the lineup was shifted, meaning Castro started at third base for the first time in six games. … The Wildcats are 3-0 in extra-inning games and 9-0 in one-run games. … The Arizona defense tied a season-high with three double plays.
