Arizona baseball played a three-game road series against the University of California, Berkeley from Friday, April 5 to Sunday, April 7. The Wildcats aimed to stay hot after winning their last four games. Arizona went on to sweep the Golden Bears, scoring at least 5 runs in all three games. The Wildcats have now won seven games in a row and rank second in the Pac-12 standings.
Day 1: Friday, April 5
Game 1: Arizona vs. Cal at 6:05 p.m.
The Wildcats’ pitching staff held firm, with starter Jackson Kent leading the charge by limiting the Golden Bears to just 2 runs over 6.0 innings. Despite a strong outing, Kent didn’t factor into the decision. The trio of Kyler Heyne, Casey Hintz and Tony Pluta provided crucial relief, conceding just 1 run over the final four innings. Hintz secured his second win of the season, while Pluta sealed the victory with his first career save.
Cal’s Luke Short delivered an impressive performance in relief, holding Arizona to 2 runs over 5.1 innings after entering the game in the second inning. However, defensive miscues plagued the Golden Bears late in the game, allowing the Wildcats to capitalize and spark their rally.
Trailing 2-0 in the top of the seventh inning, Arizona’s Adonys Guzman kicked off the scoring for the Wildcats after scoring on a wild pitch. First baseman Tommy Splaine tied the game later in the inning with an RBI single. Both teams scored 1 run in the eighth inning, setting up extra innings with the game being tied 3-3. Arizona gained momentum in the 10th inning as Mason White led off with a double, followed by key hits from Garen Caulfield and Brendan Summerhill to secure the victory.
Cal’s loss boils down to its struggles with runners in scoring position. Despite collecting 10 hits, Cal struggled with runners in scoring position, going 2-for-13 and leaving 10 runners stranded on base.
Day 2: Saturday, April 6
Game 2: Arizona vs. Cal at 2:05 p.m.
The Wildcats clinched the road series against Cal with a commanding 5-0 shutout victory on Saturday, propelled by a stellar performance from right-hander Cam Walty. Walty delivered a dominant outing, earning his fifth win of the year by pitching 7.0 innings of scoreless baseball, scattering six hits while striking out eight. He effectively shut down Cal’s offense, allowing them only a few opportunities to advance runners into scoring position. Reliever Dawson Netz sealed the shutout for the Wildcats, working the final two innings and allowing just one hit while striking out three.
Arizona’s offense was led by right fielder Emilio Corona, who ignited the scoring with a solo home run in the top of the fourth inning, his sixth of the season. The Wildcats added insurance runs, with RBI singles from Richie Morales and Splaine, along with a sac fly from Morales and a crucial throwing error by the Golden Bears. Designated hitter Xavier Esquer also made an impact, notching his first two collegiate hits in the matchup.
Day 3: Sunday, April 7
Game 3: Arizona vs. Cal at 1:05 p.m.
In a dominating performance, the Wildcats secured their second consecutive conference series sweep, beating Cal on Sunday afternoon 7-3.
The Wildcats wasted no time asserting themselves, notching 2 runs in the opening frame courtesy of RBI singles from Guzman and Maddox Mihalakis. Despite a few rallies from Cal, Arizona maintained control throughout the game. Arizona’s early lead set the tone for the game, with starting pitcher Clark Candiotti displaying another stellar performance on the mound. Candiotti’s 5.0 innings of work featured six strikeouts, contributing significantly to the Wildcats’ success. His efforts led to the Wildcats’ victory, improving his season record to 3-1.
Arizona capitalized on reliever Tom Mayer in the fifth inning, plating 3 more runs with an RBI single from Corona and a 2-run double by Andrew Cain. This offensive surge widened the gap between the Wildcats and the Golden Bears. Cal again struggled in clutch moments as they went 3-for-20 with runners on base, and 2-for-10 with runners in scoring position.
The Wildcats sealed the victory with 2 additional runs in the eighth inning, securing their status as the team with the most conference wins in the Pac-12 with a 10-5 record in conference play.
Looking ahead:
The Wildcats will face Stanford University on Monday, April 8 at 12:05 p.m. in a standalone game at Klein Field at Sunken Diamond in Stanford, California.
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