After opening the 2018 season at Hi- Corbett Field with a 3-0 sweep of Bryant, the Wildcats return back home from their four-game road trip with an overall record of 4-3.
The ‘Cats traveled to San Diego this weekend where they struggled to rack up some wins.
Labaut pitches a gem
Arizona was shut out 1-0 by No. 4 Arkansas in a close game Wednesday evening.
However, Randy Labaut (0-1) pitched a career-high seven complete innings to go along with a career-high seven strikeouts. Arizona was unable to put the ball in play against the Razorbacks’ Kacey Murphy, who held the Wildcats to only one hit in six innings of work while striking out six. In what became a pitchers duel, Arkansas prevailed in the fifth inning after Heston Kjerstad went deep off Labaut.
Arizona gets wild
The Wildcats returned to action Friday night losing 3-2 in extra innings to the SDSU Aztecs in their first of a three game series to begin play in the Tony Gwynn Classic. Both teams got their runs in the first frame but it was the Aztecs who delivered the knock out punch in the tenth inning. Aztec Jacob Maekawa, who led the inning off with a walk, was able to score the winning run off a Taylor Megill (0-1) wild pitch, giving the home team the victory.
Back on track
Arizona bounced back Saturday afternoon with a 9-5 victory over Michigan. After being held to two runs in 18 innings of play, the Wildcats’ offense started to get rolling, and was led by first baseman Alfonso Rivas.
Rivas recorded a double, a homer and a career-high six RBI per Arizonawildcats.com in three of his five plate appearances. Senior Robby Medel (1-0), got the win as starting right-hander Michael Flynn struggled in his 3.1 innings giving up four runs off three hits.
Wildcats drop final game in SD
Arizona fell 5-3 to UCSD Toreros on Sunday, meaning they failed to post a .500 record on the road in their first series of games away from Hi Corbett.
The Wildcats got on the board in the fifth inning off a Rivas RBI allowing senior Ryan Haug to cross the plate and give the ‘Cats a 1-0 lead.
UCSD responded right away in the sixth as they added three runs of their own off Avery Weems (1-1) taking a 3-1 lead. The Toreros added two more runs in the seventh giving themselves a commanding 5-1 lead.
Credit to the ‘Cats who made things interesting late in the game adding two more runs as Nick Quintana and Cameron Cannon recorded RBI in the eighth and ninth inning.
Up next
Arizona (4-3) is back on the diamond Tuesday, Feb. 27 hosting New Mexico State (5-2) who is currently on a three game win streak. First pitch is at 6 p.m.
