TUCSON, Ariz. – The Arizona Wildcats pounded out 15 hits and scored at least three runs in an inning three times Saturday afternoon in a 12-3 win over McNeese State in front of 2,966 fans at Hi Corbett Field.
The Wildcats had six players register multi-hit games and had five extra-base hits in the victory. The win moves Arizona to 7-0 on the young season, the program's best start since the 2007 team started 9-0.
For the third straight game, McNeese State opened the scoring and made Arizona play from behind. The Cowboys got a run off starter
Rio Gomez in the second inning when first baseman Mitchell Rogers had a two-out single to score Shane Selman and make it 1-0.
But Gomez put up a zero in the third and his team tied it in the bottom half.
Jared Oliva came through with a two-out double to score
Mitchell Morimoto, who had reached on an error earlier in the inning. After Gomez pitched a 1-2-3 fourth inning, the Cats got him some serious breathing room.
Nick Quintana opened the fourth with a double and designed hitter
Cory Voss followed with a walk. Freshman second baseman
Cameron Cannon then dropped down a sacrifice bunt to the pitcher. But starter Austin Sanders threw the ball away, allowing Quintana and Voss to score and Cannon to move all the way to third.
Ryan Haug brought Cannon home with a sacrifice fly to make it 4-1.
The Cats weren't done in that inning, though.
Louis Boyd walked and Morimoto followed with a single.
Cal Stevenson then brought Boyd home with an RBI single to give Arizona a four-run inning and a 5-1 lead. Gomez gave up a home run in the fifth and then exited with an out in the sixth.
Cody Deason came on to get out of the inning and keep the game at 5-2.
The Cats kept their bats going in the bottom half, scoring three more runs. This time, Morimoto started it with a one-out single and came around to score one batter later on an RBI triple from Stevenson. Oliva then picked up his own RBI triple to score Stevenson. JJ Matjievic finished the scoring with a sacrifice fly to center to score Oliva and make it 8-2.
The Cowboys plated a run in the top of the eighth, but again Arizona extended its lead in the bottom half. Oliva started the inning by reaching on an error. Matijevic and Quintana followed with base hits and then Alfonso Rivas drove two home with a single. After a double play,
Cesar Salazar and freshman
Matt Fraizer had RBI singles to make it 12-3, which stood as the final.
Gomez went 5 1/3 innings, allowing six hits, two runs, and striking out five. He didn't issue a walk and moved to 2-0 on the season and 7-0 for his career.
At the plate, Morimoto, Stevenson, Oliva, Matijevic, Quintana and Salazar all had two-hit games. Quintana is now 14 for 26 on the season with six doubles after a 2 for 4 game Saturday afternoon. Oliva finished 2 for 4 with two RBI, a double and a triple to go with two runs scored. Stevenson also went 2 for 4 with two RBI and a triple. Salazar, who entered in relief of Haug, went 2 for 2 with an RBI and a run scored.
Through seven games, Arizona is hitting .376 as a team and has scored 78 runs. The Cats will look to keep the bats hot Sunday in the series finale against the Cowboys. First pitch at Hi Corbett is set for noon.
