Arizona swiftly started turn around the early bleak look of the season with consecutive impressive wins over No. 25 Vanderbilt and formidable UC Irvine.
Luc Fladda tossed seven scoreless innings, Nate Novitske recorded three hits for the third consecutive game, and Arizona had four separate players record two or more hits apiece as the Wildcats earned a dominant 7-1 victory over UC Irvine on Sunday in the Lou Las Vegas College Baseball Classic at Las Vegas Ballpark.
The Wildcats (3-8) recorded 10 hits, including five extra base hits, while Arizona’s pitching staff composed of Fladda, Mason Russell and Evan Brandt limited the Anteaters (8-4) to a season-low one run on just five hits, marking their second lowest single game total this season.
Novitske, a true freshman from Pleasanton, Calif., had his third consecutive three-hit performance and was named the MVP of the event after going 9-14 at the plate with four RBIs.
Caleb Danzeisen went 2 for 4, while drawing one walk, scoring three runs, and recording one RBI. The freshman Laveen Valley Christian was named to the all-tournament team for his stellar play throughout the weekend.
Carson McEntire went 2 for 3 with a walk and a home run, and scored two runs and had two RBIs.
Dom Rodriguez also produced, going 2 for 3 with a double and two runs.
Fladda threw seven shutout innings, while allowing just four hits and striking out nine.
Fladda set the tone early, retiring three of four batters he faced in the first inning.
The Wildcats’ lineup responded immediately. Danzeisen drew a lead off walk and Novitske followed with a single. Both runners advanced on a wild pitch, before Tony Lira grounded out, but plated Danzeisen on the play to give Arizona a 1-0 lead after the first inning.
Fladda retired the side in the top of the second and Arizona continued to stay hot offensively.
Rodriguez led off the inning by reaching base after getting hit by a pitch, and McEntire proceeded to single down the right field line. Cash Brennan laid down a sacrifice bunt and that brought TJ Adams to the plate. Adams hit a sacrifice fly to score Rodriguez and give the Wildcats a 2-0 advantage.
Danzeisen then tripled off the wall in right-center field to plate another run. Novitske followed by lining a ball back up the middle for an RBI single. Arizona led 4-0 after two innings.
Fladda continued his dominant performance, retiring the next six batters he faced, as Arizona maintained a 4-0 advantage through four innings.
After allowing back-to-back singles in the top of the fifth, Fladda struck out a batter and forced another into a groundout to get out of the half inning.
Arizona’s offense got going again in the bottom half of the frame, as Rodriguez led off with a ground-rule double, and then advanced to third on a wild pitch.
Facing a 1-1 count, McEntire launched a ball to right field that cleared the fence easily, pushing Arizona’s lead to 6-0. After two consecutive outs, Danzeizen singled to left field to keep the inning going. Novitske stepped up next and delivered yet again for the Wildcats, doubling to right-center field. Danzeisen scored on the play to make it a 7-0 advantage.
Fladda closed his outing by retiring the final six batters he faced, finishing with seven innings and sending Arizona into the eighth inning with a 7–0 lead.
Mason Russell and Evan Brandt closed out the game for the Wildcats, allowing one run in the top of the ninth before ending the game.
Arizona will return to Hi Corbett Field on Tuesday, when they are slated to host Grand Canyon. The game will start at 6:05 p.m.
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