ARIZONA BEATS ASU 5-3 IN PHOENIX
Wildcats (30-17) split the four-game regular season series with the Sun Devils. Another meeting could occur in Scottsdale during the Pac-12 tournament.
Arizona was 7-10 after ASU won the first two games of the series at Hi Corbett Field on March… pic.twitter.com/e4rdlW7m2O— Javier Morales (@JavierJMorales) May 8, 2024
Led by three home runs, including by Tucson products Mason White and Andrew Cain, and a solid pitching-by-committee performance, No. 17 Arizona defeated archrival Arizona State 5-3 on Tuesday night at Phoenix Municipal Stadium.
The non-conference victory improved Arizona’s record to 30-17 overall. ASU is 26-24. The teams split their four games in the regular season.
They resume Pac-12 play Friday with first-place Arizona (17-7 conference record) playing at second-place Utah (15-9) and ASU (14-13) playing its last regular-season conference series at Stanford. One victory by Arizona or loss by ASU eliminates the Sun Devils from Pac-12 regular-season title contention.
The Wildcats have now won 30-plus games in all three of head coach Chip Hale’s seasons at his alma mater. The program has nine straight complete seasons (not including the COVID-19-affected 2020 season) with at least 30 wins dating to 2015.
NO DOUBTER
Mason White crushes a 2-run home run! pic.twitter.com/QmjWSxGgak
— Pac-12 Network (@Pac12Network) May 8, 2024
In addition to White (Salpointe alum) and Cain (Ironwood Ridge) hitting home runs, TJ Adams belted his first career home run. The three home runs — all of them no-doubters — accounted for four of the Wildcats’ five runs.
Arizona used nine pitchers who work out of the bullpen to cover all nine innings, six of whom tossed scoreless outings.
BANG!!
That ball is absolutely obliterated by @AndrewCain_19 for a solo to lead off the 4th! pic.twitter.com/6iMwhsnNmc
— Arizona Baseball (@ArizonaBaseball) May 8, 2024
Right-hander Casey Hintz (3-1) earned the win after entering in fourth and getting the Wildcats out of a bases-loaded jam on a double play with his first pitch. He escaped again in the fifth on another double play.
Fellow righty Anthony Susac closed the game out in the ninth inning, earning his second save of the season. He struck out the Pac-12’s leading batter, ASU’s Kien Vu (.420 batting average), to end the game.
The midweek victory gives Arizona four consecutive wins heading into its crucial series in Salt Lake City this weekend.
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