From Arizona Athletics
The Arizona Wildcats saw their bats stay hot Sunday afternoon in the series finale with Hartford, topping the Hawks 17-13 in front of 2,619 fans at Hi Corbett Field.
Arizona swept Hartford to move to 13-2 on the season and 11-0 at home. The Cats scored 63 runs over the three games on 59 hits. They had 18 extra-base hits, 54 RBI, seven stolen bases and a .454 batting average against the Hawks. The 63 runs are the most an Arizona team has scored in a series since scoring 64 runs in a two-game series with St. Francis in 1995. The Cats’ 11-0 start at home is the best since starting 16-0 at home in 1998.
Similar to Friday and Saturday, the Cats had to erase a first-inning deficit to earn a win. Hartford scored three runs in the first, two of which came from a home run from shortstop Ben Bengston. Unlike Friday and Saturday though, Arizona didn’t respond right away and Hartford stretched its lead to 6-0, scoring three more runs in the second.
But then Arizona’s bats woke up—in a big way. The Cats loaded the bases with two outs in the second for Cal Stevenson, who doubled to score Cameron Cannon and Kyle Lewis for Arizona’s first two runs of the game. Alfonso Rivas followed with a two-run single to score Mitchell Morimoto and Stevenson and cut Hartford’s lead to 6-4.
Arizona made it 6-5 an inning later when Nick Quintana hustled home from third to score on a wild pitch. Hartford plated a run in the fourth to make it 7-5. Arizona answered back though in the bottom half of the inning on one swing. Again, with the bases loaded, Jared Oliva came up with two outs and hit a grand slam to left field to give Arizona its first lead of the game at 9-7.
But Hartford wouldn’t go quietly and tied the game at nine with two more in the fifth when catcher Erik Ostberg hit an inside-the-park home. Arizona took the lead for good in the bottom half with three more runs. Lewis scored on a wild pitch and then Rivas brought home Stevenson on a two-out double. Rivas then swiped third and scored on a wild pitch to give Arizona a 12-9 lead.
Hartford plated two in the seventh to make it 12-11, but again Oliva was there to create some breathing room. After Lewis tripled and scored on a wild pitch, Oliva came up with the bases loaded and two outs again and singled home Stevenson and Rivas to make it 15-11.
The Hawks came back with two more in the eighth, but so did the Cats. Stevenson tripled with Lewis on and then scored off his triple when a Hartford infielder was jogging the ball back in and then threw it away trying to get Stevenson at home.
Tylor Megill pitched a scoreless ninth to lock down the win.
Stevenson, Rivas and Lewis all had three hits in the game. Stevenson was 3 for 3 with five runs scored, three RBI and three walks. Rivas was also 3 for 3 with three walks, adding three runs scored and three RBI. Lewis finished 3 for 4 with four runs scored. Oliva was 2 for 3 with six RBI.
For the weekend, Rivas was 9 for 10 with two doubles, a home run, eight runs scored, eight RBI and five walks. Stevenson was 7 for 10 with 11 runs and five RBI. Lewis was 6 for 11 with eight runs scored and Oliva drove in 11 in 11 at-bats on the weekend.
Arizona will now hit the road for a four-game road trip. The Cats will open it Wednesday night at Cal-State Fullerton and then stay in Southern California and play UCLA for a three-game weekend series.
Season Stats
The Arizona Wildcats saw their bats stay hot Sunday afternoon in the series finale with Hartford, topping the Hawks 17-13 in front of 2,619 fans at Hi Corbett Field.
Arizona swept Hartford to move to 13-2 on the season and 11-0 at home. The Cats scored 63 runs over the three games on 59 hits. They had 18 extra-base hits, 54 RBI, seven stolen bases and a .454 batting average against the Hawks. The 63 runs are the most an Arizona team has scored in a series since scoring 64 runs in a two-game series with St. Francis in 1995. The Cats’ 11-0 start at home is the best since starting 16-0 at home in 1998.
Similar to Friday and Saturday, the Cats had to erase a first-inning deficit to earn a win. Hartford scored three runs in the first, two of which came from a home run from shortstop Ben Bengston. Unlike Friday and Saturday though, Arizona didn’t respond right away and Hartford stretched its lead to 6-0, scoring three more runs in the second.
But then Arizona’s bats woke up—in a big way. The Cats loaded the bases with two outs in the second for Cal Stevenson, who doubled to score Cameron Cannon and Kyle Lewis for Arizona’s first two runs of the game. Alfonso Rivas followed with a two-run single to score Mitchell Morimoto and Stevenson and cut Hartford’s lead to 6-4.
Arizona made it 6-5 an inning later when Nick Quintana hustled home from third to score on a wild pitch. Hartford plated a run in the fourth to make it 7-5. Arizona answered back though in the bottom half of the inning on one swing. Again, with the bases loaded, Jared Oliva came up with two outs and hit a grand slam to left field to give Arizona its first lead of the game at 9-7.
But Hartford wouldn’t go quietly and tied the game at nine with two more in the fifth when catcher Erik Ostberg hit an inside-the-park home. Arizona took the lead for good in the bottom half with three more runs. Lewis scored on a wild pitch and then Rivas brought home Stevenson on a two-out double. Rivas then swiped third and scored on a wild pitch to give Arizona a 12-9 lead.
Hartford plated two in the seventh to make it 12-11, but again Oliva was there to create some breathing room. After Lewis tripled and scored on a wild pitch, Oliva came up with the bases loaded and two outs again and singled home Stevenson and Rivas to make it 15-11.
The Hawks came back with two more in the eighth, but so did the Cats. Stevenson tripled with Lewis on and then scored off his triple when a Hartford infielder was jogging the ball back in and then threw it away trying to get Stevenson at home.
Tylor Megill pitched a scoreless ninth to lock down the win.
Stevenson, Rivas and Lewis all had three hits in the game. Stevenson was 3 for 3 with five runs scored, three RBI and three walks. Rivas was also 3 for 3 with three walks, adding three runs scored and three RBI. Lewis finished 3 for 4 with four runs scored. Oliva was 2 for 3 with six RBI.
For the weekend, Rivas was 9 for 10 with two doubles, a home run, eight runs scored, eight RBI and five walks. Stevenson was 7 for 10 with 11 runs and five RBI. Lewis was 6 for 11 with eight runs scored and Oliva drove in 11 in 11 at-bats on the weekend.
Arizona will now hit the road for a four-game road trip. The Cats will open it Wednesday night at Cal-State Fullerton and then stay in Southern California and play UCLA for a three-game weekend series.
Season Stats
