The Arizona baseball team picked up its first win of the season in a 10-0 victory in seven innings over New Mexico at Hi Corbett Field on Tuesday afternoon.
The game ended in the bottom of the seventh inning when infielder Maddox Mihalakis hit a bases clearing triple with the team already leading 9-0.
“To get a win is nice,” said Arizona coach Chip Hale. “You always know when you play in those tournaments like we will in Houston (next week), there are three really good teams that are coached really well and they’re going to be at the same level.”
The Wildcats started the season 0-3 after losing all three games of the Shriners Children’s College Showdown to Ole Miss, Clemson and Louisville this past weekend at Arlington, Texas.
“It was disappointing,” Hale said of winless start.
Starter Kenan Elarton made his long awaited Arizona debut and did not disappoint, with three scoreless innings along with three strikeouts.
Elarton missed the full 2023 and 2024 seasons with arm issues that needed surgery.
“It was awesome just taking it all in, seeing the fans and all the support,” Elarton said.
Elarton’s dad, Scott, pitched 10 years in the major leagues for four different teams.
“Kenan went out there and did a great job commanding the zone,” said catcher Adonys Guzman. “All four pitches were working.”
Along with Elarton, freshman pitcher Carson Johnson made his collegiate debut and threw a scoreless inning in addition to earning the win for the game.
“Carson Johnson’s first time really out there and just trying to keep him locked in and let (Elarton and Johnson) understand that this is just a baseball game,” Guzman said.
Elarton, Johnson as well as Garrett Hicks and Raul Garayzar combined for the seven-inning shutout.
Guzman shined in his own right, with a 2 for 3 day that included a 441-foot home run in the fifth inning that increased the lead to 5-0.
“Obviously, we came off a weekend where we struggled a little bit offensively, so it felt great to put a good swing on the ball,” Guzman said.
After getting shut down in the first three innings by New Mexico starter Diego Alvarez, a former Sahuarita High School and Pima standout, the Wildcats broke through in the fourth.
Ssecond baseman Garen Caulfield hit a two-run triple that he would later score on after a New Mexico error to put Arizona up 3-0.
Caulfield added a sacrifice fly later in the game to extend the lead to 6-0. In the bottom of the sixth, right fielder Brendan Summerhill added insurance with a two-run triple to put Arizona up 8-0. Caulfield finished the day with four RBIs as he hit an RBI double in the seventh to extend the lead to 9-0 before the Mihalakis triple.
After the 0-3 start to the season, Hale flipped around the batting order moving designated hitter Richie Morales to the two hole while dropping Caulfield into the cleanup spot.
“Garen’s been really good in the four hole in his time here. To get (Aaron) Walton down to the six hole it kinda lengthens the lineup,” Hale said.
Arizona’s next game is Friday, when it will start a three game series at Hi Corbett Field against the University of San Diego.
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