After Tuesday’s 3-2 victory over San Diego State, the Arizona baseball pitchers walked off Sancet Stadium field toward McKale Center. Meanwhile, the rest of the team remained circled-up in right field as head coach Andy Lopez colorfully expressed his displeasure for his team’s recent plate performances.
The core of the Wildcats’ offense appeared to take their coach’s 90-minute berating to heart. In a 13-4 series-clinching blowout over the Aztecs (25-20) yesterday, Arizona (30-13, 7-8 Pacific 10 Conference) pounded out 18 hits with 10 going for extra bases.
“”The message (Tuesday) was to try a little harder and be more aggressive at the plate,”” Lopez said. “”It was good to score some runs (yesterday). The thing that was really impressive was we had a lot of two-out base hits and two-out RBI’s and that’s something we need badly right now.””
On a day in which 10 Wildcats recorded hits and third baseman Brad Glenn fell a home run shy of the cycle, Arizona’s offense once again showed signs of its potential to bury opponents as seven hitters finished the day with at least one RBI.
Arizona wasted no time putting runs on the board with two in the first inning off Aztecs’ starter Shane Kaufman.
Following a four-batter, three-strikeout top of the second by Arizona starter Grayson Adams, the Wildcats went back to work, knocking Kaufman around for six more runs, all with two outs, resulting in the right-hander’s premature exit.
Kaufman appeared to have held Arizona in check by recording back-to-back strikeouts after allowing a leadoff walk to shortstop Bryce Ortega. But the wheels began to fall off for the Aztecs as five of the next six Wildcat hitters got a hit with Glenn, designated hitter Dillon Baird, and right fielder Jon Gaston all blasting doubles.
Arizona hit around the order with Ortega finally putting an end to the inning with a lazy fly ball to right field.
“”Coach (Lopez) told us, basically we haven’t been clutching up lately,”” Ortega said. “”We’ve been leaving a lot of guys in scoring position, especially in Pac-10 play. Today we did a pretty good job of getting them in.””
Despite stranding a total of 10 runners yesterday, Arizona left only four on base in scoring position.
Coming up big with runners on were both Glenn and Gaston, who both finished the day 3-for-5 with two RBI’s and two runs scored.
Defensively, the Wildcats gave no reason for Lopez to be displeased as the team’s only error came against relief pitcher Corey Burns, who had an errant throw to first after being struck in the back by a one-hopper off the bat of SDSU’s Pat Colwell.
The pitching staff gave yet another consistent performance allowing only four runs on 12 hits.
Adams failed to pick up a decision as the right-hander was pulled after 3 1/3 innings for southpaw Matt Chaffee, who went the following 2 1/3 innings and allowed one run on only two hits – an effort earning the freshman his first win of the season.
The Wildcats used a total of five pitchers in the win with closer Jason Stoffel entering in the ninth to put a cap on the nine-run win.
“”We did a pretty good job today,”” reliever Ryan Perry said of the pitching staff. “”We just need to continue putting zeros up on the board and get a few hits like we did today and we’ll be untouchable.””
