Arizona extends program-record Pac-12 winning streak to 11 games with win at Washington

Garen Caulfield hit two doubles, Adonys Guzman belted first home run of the season and Arizona’s pitching overall led the Wildcats to their 11th consecutive Pac-12 win — a 3-2 victory at Washington on Friday night.

The Wildcats (26-14 overall) maintain a 2-game lead over Utah in the Pac-12 standings with a 14-5 record.

Utah is 12-7 following its 3-2 win in 12 innings over visiting UCLA on Friday night.

The 11-game Pac-12 winning streak for Arizona is the longest in program history. The conference is disbanding after this school year.

Arizona is 16-1 dating to March 28.

Tonko Susac earned his first save of the season Friday, retiring three straight batters (including two strikeouts) in the bottom of the ninth inning.

Keyler Heyne (2-0) earned the win with an effective 1 2/3 innings in which he allowed one hit and struck out three batters with one walk.

He quelled a perilous situation in the seventh after Washington tied the game at 2 following a two-run home run by Aiva Arquette off reliever Casey Hintz with one out in the seventh. Hintz then walked two batters before Heyne put out the fire.

Arizona starter Jackson Kent and his counterpart Jared Engman engaged in a pitcher’s duel until Guzman belted his home run to lead off the seventh inning. The blast to left field for the Boston College transfer came on a 0-1 count.

Engman, who held Arizona hitless until one out in the fifth inning, walked former Washington player Emilio Corona with one out in the seventh. Corona stole second base — his second steal of the game — and moved to third on a fielding error by Arquette at second base on catcher Colton Bower’s throw.

After Tommy Splaine walked, Engman was relieved by Isaac Yeager.

Ironwood Ridge graduate Andrew Cain greeted Yeager with a single that scored Corona and gave Arizona a 2-0 lead.

Kent did not take the mound in the bottom of the seventh, giving way to Hintz. Kent allowed seven hits in his six innings of work with four strikeouts and no walks.

He ended up with a no-decision after Hintz walked the leadoff batter in the seventh and Arquette followed with his two-run shot with one out.

After Heyne ended Washington’s threat, Arizona retook the lead in the top of the eighth inning following Caulfield’s leadoff double.

Gianluca Shinn relieved Yeager (2-1) and Mason White followed with a line-drive single to left-center field to plate Caulfield. White, a Salpointe graduate, leads Arizona with 53 RBIs.

Heyne retired three of the four batters he faced in the bottom of the eighth, incuding two on strikeouts.

Arizona left the bases loaded in the eighth and two more runners stranded in the ninth, but the Wildcats’ pitching, namely Susac, saved the game.

Arquette led off the bottom of the ninth a single but Susac proceeded to strike out the next two batters before inducing a groundout to end the game.

Arizona is scheduled to play the second game of the series at 2:05 p.m. on Saturday.

Arizona broadcaster Brian Jeffries reported in his postgame segment that the Wildcats and Washington (14-20-1, 6-13) may play a doubleheader on Saturday with weather and logistical concerns for Sunday.

Showers are in the forecast for Sunday in Seattle and Arizona needs to return to Tucson on Sunday ahead of a game scheduled Tuesday against Grand Canyon at Hi Corbett Field at 6 p.m.

PAC-12 BASEBALL STANDINGS

Friday’s scores
ARIZONA 3, Washington 2
Utah 3, UCLA 2 (12)
Stanford 8, California 6
Arizona State 12, USC 1
Oregon State 2, Oregon 0
Fresno State 5, Washington State 4

Saturday’s games
ARIZONA at Washington, 2:05 p.m.
UCLA at Utah, 1 p.m.
California at Stanford, 4 p.m.
Oregon at Oregon State, 6:05 p.m.
USC at Arizona State, 6:30 p.m.
Fresno State at Washington State, 6:05 p.m.

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ALLSPORTSTUCSON.com publisher, writer and editor Javier Morales is a former Arizona Press Club award winner. He is a former Arizona Daily Star beat reporter for the Arizona basketball team, including when the Wildcats won the 1996-97 NCAA title. He has also written articles for CollegeAD.com, Bleacher Report, Lindy’s Sports, TucsonCitizen.com, The Arizona Republic, Sporting News and Baseball America, among many other publications. He has also authored the book “The Highest Form of Living”, which is available at Amazon. He became an educator in 2016 and is presently a special education teacher at Sunnyside High School in the Sunnyside Unified School District.