The Arizona baseball team concluded the MLB Desert Invitational with a 9-8 back-and-forth win over the University of California, San Diego at Sloan Park in Mesa, Arizona.
Taking the mound to start the game for the Tritons was freshman right hander, Anthony Eyanson, and for the Wildcats Pima Community College transfer, Aiden May. Eyanson had no difficulty in the first getting the first two batters to ground out and fly out. Eyanson ended the top of the inning by getting his first collegiate strikeout on the hot bat of Tony Bullard. May was able to respond with a strong scoreless bottom of the first inning.
Eyanson is off to a hot start in his first college game as he struck out the side in the top of the second which made it four in a row in his debut. The Triton offense struck first after Crew Robinson singled up the middle to drive in Doyle Kane to make it 1-0 UCSD.
Eyanson struck out the side for the third time in four innings to get the Tritons back to the plate for the bottom of the fourth. Arizona just couldn’t seem to figure the freshman out as he ran through the Wildcats’ order.
May got his third strikeout of the game to lead off the bottom of the fourth. The Tritons extended their lead after an RBI single from outfielder Nick Costello that drove in Robinson to make it a 2-0 ball game.
This was followed by another two-out RBI single from Patrick Hackworth to make it 3-0. May started the inning by striking out the first two batters, but allowed the next five Tritons to reach base before getting the third out to end the fourth.
Eric Orloff was brought in to relieve May to start the bottom of the fifth. May threw four innings allowing three earned runs on six hits. Orloff started with a scoreless fifth inning.
Eyanson was relieved by lefty, Sam Hasegawa, to start the sixth. Arizona had a two-out rally in the top of the sixth after Nik McClaughry reached after a single and was driven in by a Bullard double to right field to make the score 3-1. Kiko Romero would strike out to end the inning with a runner in scoring position. Orloff would have another strong scoreless inning to bring Arizona back to the plate for the start of the seventh inning.
Arizona mustered up some more offense with one out. Mason White singled and was moved to third after a Garen Caulfield double off the centerfield wall. Following this, the Tritons pulled Hasegawa and replaced him with righty, Aren Alvarez, to try and get out of the bind. The Wildcats tied it up 3-3 with a two RBI double down the left field line from Cameron LaLiberte.
Tyler Casagrande was brought in to pinch hit and singled to left to drive in LaLiberte to take the lead 4-3. Right after this, head coach Chip Hale was ejected after arguing a blocking issue involving pickoff attempts. Hale received applause from his team and the fans as he took his walk to the left field exit.
UCSD was able to tie it up at four with a pop fly that was lost in the sun by Mac Bingham that scored Michael Fuhrman. After this Orloff was relieved by George Arias Jr. to try and keep it a tie-ball game with no outs. Another pitching change with one out and men on the corners would bring in righty, Casey Hintz. The Tritons regained the lead with a sacrifice fly from Kane that scored Hackworth 5-4 UCSD.
Joe Soberon was brought in to pitch in the top of the eighth for UCSD. Arizona took that opportunity with a new pitcher and a runner in scoring position by tying up the game at five after a LaLiberte groundball got through scoring Romero.
The Wildcats switched pitchers again for the bottom of the eighth bringing Trevor Long to the mound for Arizona who threw a scoreless inning. At the top of the ninth Arizona’s first two batters walked. After a pop out Romero stripped a one-out single to drive in McClaughry to make the score 6-5 Arizona.
This was followed by Bingham’s first home run of the season that drove in 3 runs making it 9-5. The Tritons brought Spencer Seid in to relieve, who would get the Tritons back on offense for a final chance in the bottom of the ninth.
The Tritons were able to load the bases and drive in another run to make it 9-6 with men on second and third with two outs. Freshman Brandon Larson drove in the seventh and eighth runs with a single to right to make it 9-8 Arizona. Long finished the ball game to secure the Wildcats’ third win of the season.
The Arizona baseball team will take on West Virginia University, Friday, Feb. 24 in Tucson.
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