After a low scoring 3-1 win over Pepperdine on Friday night, Arizona’s offense couldn’t be stopped on Saturday in a dominant 21-2 victory that secured the series for the Wildcats.
Arizona (10-4) scored in every inning with the exception of the third and eighth.
A total of 13 batters accumulated 25 hits including all nine starters.
The Wildcats put up three runs in the first inning when a Garen Caulfield sacrifice fly to center field sent Aaron Walton home, a triple to left center by Maddox Mihalakis scored Mason White and a single up the middle by Adonys Guzman plated Mihalakis.
Arizona added six runs in the second inning.
This is how the Wildcats scored their six runs:
With Mathis Meurant and Brendan Summerhill on the corners, Walton hit an RBI sacrifice fly that scored Meurant.
White doubled up the middle bringing Summerhill home.
Caulfield walked.
Mihalakis doubled to left center plating White.
Guzman hit a double to left that sent Mihalakis and Caulfield across the plate.
Tommy Splaine singled to third base scoring Guzman.
At the end of the second inning, Arizona held a 9-0 lead.
In the fourth inning, Meurant hit a two-run triple down the right field line and then scored on a wild pitch by Pepperdine pitcher Cade Barry.
An Easton Breyfogle RBI single to right field added a run in the fifth inning.
A White two-run double to right center and a Caulfield RBI double to left center put up three more runs for Arizona in the sixth inning.
The hit party continued with a five-run seventh inning.
A two-run triple by Walton and a sacrifice fly by White put the Wildcats up 19-2.
Andrew Cain, who was pinch hitting for Mihalakis, hit an RBI double. Cain scored Arizona’s final run when Guzman reached first base on a throwing error by Pepperdine shortstop Julian Nunez that left Cain free to jog home.
Ethan Guerra, who came in to pinch run for Caulfield in the sixth inning had his first at bat as a Wildcat in the seventh inning and picked up his first hit in an Arizona uniform on a single to center field. The junior infielder transferred to Arizona from Paris Junior College.
| Mason White | 5-6 | 2B (2) , 4 RBI |
| Aaron Walton | 3-4 | 3 RBI |
| Adonys Guzman | 3-5 | 2B, 3 RBI |
| Maddox Mihalakis | 3-5 | 2B, 2 RBI |
| Mathis Meurant | 2-5 | 2 RBI |
| Easton Breyfogle | 2-5 | 1 RBI |
| Garen Caulfield | 1-3 | 2B, 2 RBI |
| Andrew Cain | 1-2 | 2B, 1 RBI |
| Tommy Splaine | 1-5 | 1 RBI |
Pepperdine put their first runs on the board in the sixth inning off of a Max Bernal RBI single to short stop and a Danny Cook RBI double down the left field line.
Arizona had stellar pitching from starter Owen Kramkowski and the bullpen.
The sophomore right-hander out of Sahuarita (Walden Grove High School) pitched 5 2/3 innings, threw 85 pitches with 63 strikes, allowed four hits and two runs and struck out five batters to earn the win.
Arizona used a total of five pitchers including Christian Coppola, the Rutgers transfer who saw the mound for the first time as a Wildcat. Coppola came in for the seventh inning and struck out the first two batters he faced getting Pepperdine out in order on 11 pitches.
Arizona will go for the series sweep over Pepperdine Sunday at 12:00 p.m. at Hi Corbett Field.
Recommended for you
