For the second game in a row, Arizona notched an eight-run inning that helped the Wildcats secure a 14-2 series win over Cincinnati — their first series win in Big 12 play.
Saturday’s win extends Arizona’s winning streak to seven and the Wildcats are now 11-0 at Hi Corbett Field.
Arizona (14-4, 2-0 Big 12) started its inaugural Big 12 series against the Bearcats (11-8, 0-2 Big 12) on Friday night. Despite falling behind 3-0 through the first five innings, an eight-run sixth inning gave Arizona a 8-3 win in the first game of the three-game Cincinnati series.
In Friday night’s eight-run sixth inning, Garen Caulfield hit a grand slam.
Unlike Friday, there were no grand slams on Saturday as the Wildcats took a first-inning 4-0 lead and never looked back.
“We came out relentless and had really good at-bats,” Arizona coach Chip Hale said.
Arizona leadoff batter Brendan Summerhill got things started with a single through the right side and advanced to third base on two throwing errors by the Bearcats that also had Aaron Walton safe at first.
Salpointe alum Mason White reached base on a fielder’s choice that brought Summerhill home.
A walk by Caulfield, sacrifice fly to center-right by Maddox Mihalakis, double by Adonys Guzman and single by Tommy Splaine brought three more runs across the plate to give the Wildcats the lead.
TJ Adams barely missed a home run to start the second inning when his deep ball to center field hit just below the 392 mark on the wall resulting in a triple for Adams.
The Wildcats had 13 at-bats during the second inning eight-run scoring explosion.
Summerhill accounted for three runs, hitting a single and a triple during the inning. He would end the game with four hits and three RBIs in five at-bats.
“They started to pitch me up and in, low and away so just kind of settling my approach, just doing the same thing every day, showing up and you know today I was able to find the holes which was nice,” Summerhill said.
White added two more runs off a double to right, Splaine brought two home on a single to right and a throwing error would bring in another run.
Arizona’s final two runs were in the fourth inning when Walton’s single to left brought Adams home and a passed ball sent Summerhill across the plate.
Cincinnati got on the board in the top of the third inning when Landyn Vidourek’s sacrifice fly to center scored Donovan Ford.
The Bearcats’ final run was in the seventh off a Kory Klingenbeck single through the left side.
Arizona starting pitcher Owen Kramkowski, a Walden Grove grad, allowed his first walk of the season after sitting for the very long second inning score-a-palooza by the Wildcats.
“It’s tough to pitch in those situations. I think Kramkowski did a good job of sitting there for a long time. He got one guy on and the walk and then he really buckled down I thought he did a good job,” Hale said.
Kramkowski pitched five innings, faced 22 batters, allowed five hits, one run and walked two batters. He struck out seven batters on 78 pitches, 54 of those strikes. He notched his third win of the season.
Arizona will go for the series sweep on Sunday at 11:00 a.m. at Hi Corbett.
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