From Arizona Athletics
Michael Flynn tossed a career-high 6 2/3 innings and struck out a career-best 12 to lift the Arizona Wildcats to a 3-1 over No. 7 UCLA at Hi Corbett Field Friday night.
The win, which came in front of a season-high 6,014 fans, secured a series victory for the Wildcats over the seventh-ranked Bruins. Arizona now has three straight series wins over the Bruins for the first time since 1997-1999. The Wildcats now sit at 27-17 overall and 9-11 in Pac-12. UCLA dropped to 30-12 and 14-6 in league play.
Flynn got the ball one day after teammate Cody Deason tossed a shutout against the Bruins and picked up a career-high 11 strikeouts. He continued the momentum set by Deason and delivered the finest performance of his career.
The junior from Los Alamitos, California allowed six hits over his 6 2/3 innings, walking two and striking out 12 to improve to 6-3 on the season. He walked leadoff man Jeremy Ydens to start the game, but then struck out the next two batters and third-place hitter Chase Strumpf was called for batter’s interference to end the inning.
Arizona’s offense then went to work and got Flynn an early lead to work with. Cal Stevenson led off the game with a single to centerfield and moved to third when Alfonso Rivas dumped a base hit into right. Cameron Cannon brought Stevenson home on a sacrifice fly to make it 1-0 three batters into the game.
Cesar Salazar followed with a single of his own to put two men on. After a strikeout, sophomore third baseman Nick Quintana delivered a single to plate Rivas and make it 2-0 Wildcats.
Working with a lead, Flynn was dominant against a Bruins squad that entered the series on an eight-game winning streak, averaging 10.9 runs per game during that span. Flynn got a pair of strikeouts in the second and a groundout. In the third, he again picked up a pair of strikeouts and then got Ydens to fly out to end the inning with a runner on base.
He worked around a one-out single. In the fourth, striking out designated hitter Jack Stronach to end the inning. UCLA finally got to Flynn in the fifth when pinch-hitter Kyle Cuellar singled with two outs to score Daniel Amaral, who walked to start the inning. Cuellar’s hit cut Arizona’s deficit to 2-1.
The Bruins then threatened again in the sixth off Flynn, who worked in and out of trouble. The first two batters in the inning singled to put two men on for cleanup hitter Michael Toglia. Flynn got Toglia swinging for the first out of the inning. An infield single from pinch-hitter Jake Pries then loaded the bases with one out for Amaral.
But Flynn got Amaral swinging, and then struck out right fielder Garrett Mitchell for the third out of the inning. The strikeout was the 12th of the night for Flynn, who had a previous career high of eight entering Friday.
The righty got the first two outs in the seventh, but then gave up a base hit to Ydens. Coach Jay Johnson decided to go to his bullpen at that point and brought in left-hander Avery Weems to face left-handed hitting shortstop Kevin Kendall with two outs. Weems got Kendall to fly out to left to get through the inning unscathed.
Weems gave way to senior Zach Stone in the eighth, who worked around a leadoff walk to post a scoreless inning.
Arizona then added an insurance run in the bottom half of the inning. Rivas led off with a single and moved to third on a double from Cannon. Salazar grounded out, keeping both runners in place. Pinch-hitter Ryan Haug then came up and dropped down a bunt with two strikes, but Rivas was thrown out at the plate. But with Quintana at the plate, UCLA pitcher Kyle Mora uncorked a wild pitch, allowing Cannon to score to make it 3-1.
Stone stayed on for the ninth and struck out Mitchell and pinch-hitter RJ Teijeiro to start the inning. He then got pinch-hitter Jarron Sliva to fly out to Stevenson in center to close out the game and earn the first save of his Wildcat career.
Rivas paced the Wildcats, going 3 for 4 with a run scored. Quintana was 2 for 4 with an RBI.
The Cats will go for the sweep Saturday afternoon at 3:30 p.m. Right-hander Ryan Garcia will start for UCLA. Johnson has yet to announce a starter for the Wildcats.
Michael Flynn tossed a career-high 6 2/3 innings and struck out a career-best 12 to lift the Arizona Wildcats to a 3-1 over No. 7 UCLA at Hi Corbett Field Friday night.
The win, which came in front of a season-high 6,014 fans, secured a series victory for the Wildcats over the seventh-ranked Bruins. Arizona now has three straight series wins over the Bruins for the first time since 1997-1999. The Wildcats now sit at 27-17 overall and 9-11 in Pac-12. UCLA dropped to 30-12 and 14-6 in league play.
Flynn got the ball one day after teammate Cody Deason tossed a shutout against the Bruins and picked up a career-high 11 strikeouts. He continued the momentum set by Deason and delivered the finest performance of his career.
The junior from Los Alamitos, California allowed six hits over his 6 2/3 innings, walking two and striking out 12 to improve to 6-3 on the season. He walked leadoff man Jeremy Ydens to start the game, but then struck out the next two batters and third-place hitter Chase Strumpf was called for batter’s interference to end the inning.
Arizona’s offense then went to work and got Flynn an early lead to work with. Cal Stevenson led off the game with a single to centerfield and moved to third when Alfonso Rivas dumped a base hit into right. Cameron Cannon brought Stevenson home on a sacrifice fly to make it 1-0 three batters into the game.
Cesar Salazar followed with a single of his own to put two men on. After a strikeout, sophomore third baseman Nick Quintana delivered a single to plate Rivas and make it 2-0 Wildcats.
Working with a lead, Flynn was dominant against a Bruins squad that entered the series on an eight-game winning streak, averaging 10.9 runs per game during that span. Flynn got a pair of strikeouts in the second and a groundout. In the third, he again picked up a pair of strikeouts and then got Ydens to fly out to end the inning with a runner on base.
He worked around a one-out single. In the fourth, striking out designated hitter Jack Stronach to end the inning. UCLA finally got to Flynn in the fifth when pinch-hitter Kyle Cuellar singled with two outs to score Daniel Amaral, who walked to start the inning. Cuellar’s hit cut Arizona’s deficit to 2-1.
The Bruins then threatened again in the sixth off Flynn, who worked in and out of trouble. The first two batters in the inning singled to put two men on for cleanup hitter Michael Toglia. Flynn got Toglia swinging for the first out of the inning. An infield single from pinch-hitter Jake Pries then loaded the bases with one out for Amaral.
But Flynn got Amaral swinging, and then struck out right fielder Garrett Mitchell for the third out of the inning. The strikeout was the 12th of the night for Flynn, who had a previous career high of eight entering Friday.
The righty got the first two outs in the seventh, but then gave up a base hit to Ydens. Coach Jay Johnson decided to go to his bullpen at that point and brought in left-hander Avery Weems to face left-handed hitting shortstop Kevin Kendall with two outs. Weems got Kendall to fly out to left to get through the inning unscathed.
Weems gave way to senior Zach Stone in the eighth, who worked around a leadoff walk to post a scoreless inning.
Arizona then added an insurance run in the bottom half of the inning. Rivas led off with a single and moved to third on a double from Cannon. Salazar grounded out, keeping both runners in place. Pinch-hitter Ryan Haug then came up and dropped down a bunt with two strikes, but Rivas was thrown out at the plate. But with Quintana at the plate, UCLA pitcher Kyle Mora uncorked a wild pitch, allowing Cannon to score to make it 3-1.
Stone stayed on for the ninth and struck out Mitchell and pinch-hitter RJ Teijeiro to start the inning. He then got pinch-hitter Jarron Sliva to fly out to Stevenson in center to close out the game and earn the first save of his Wildcat career.
Rivas paced the Wildcats, going 3 for 4 with a run scored. Quintana was 2 for 4 with an RBI.
The Cats will go for the sweep Saturday afternoon at 3:30 p.m. Right-hander Ryan Garcia will start for UCLA. Johnson has yet to announce a starter for the Wildcats.
