From Arizona Athletics
The Arizona Wildcats scored a season-high 16 runs and tied a season high for hits with 18, topping host New Mexico 16-6 Monday evening at a windy Santa Ana Star Field.
The win improves Arizona to 17-10 on the season. The Wildcats have now won seven of their last eight games. New Mexico dropped to 12-14-1 on the season after earning a series win over the weekend against 23rd ranked San Diego State.
Cal Stevenson paced the Wildcats going 5 for 6 with three RBI and two runs scored for his first-career five hit game. Cameron Cannon and Nick Quintana each had three-hit games in the win, and Cesar Salazar and Tate Soderstrom each had two-hit games. Salazar finished 2 for 5 and has reached base safely in 25 straight games this season.
With winds reaching 25-plus miles per hour, both teams took advantage of the conditions early, trading runs in the first inning. Arizona scored its run on a long single off the wall from Quintana to score Cannon, who walked earlier in the inning.
The Lobos responded in the bottom half with a solo home run from Jared Mang to tie the game at one.
But in the second, Arizona exploded for five runs on six hits. Matt Fraizer started the rally with a one-out single and scored when the next batter, Jacob Blas, doubled to the right-centerfield wall. Blas advanced to third on an error by right fielder Derek Marshall on the play and then scored when Stevenson singled through the right side.
Cannon followed and unleashed on a 1-0 fastball for a home run over the left field wall for a two-run shot to make it 5-1. It was Cannon’s second home run of the season and second in the last three games. Alfonso Rivas followed Cannon’s blast with a walk and moved to third on Salazar’s second single of the game. After a pop out, Soderstrom, a freshman designated hitter, singled up the middle to score Rivas and make it 6-1.
The Lobos got one run back in the bottom half when Marshall homered over the right-center wall to make it 6-2.
After a scoreless third, Arizona broke the game open with a seven-run fourth inning. Soderstrom, Fraizer and Blas all drew bases loaded walks to plate the first three runs of the inning. After Donta Williams scored on a wild pitch, Stevenson and Cannon produced back-to-back RBI singles to plate two more. Rivas, who started the inning with a double, hit a sacrifice fly to score Stevenson for the seventh run of the inning.
An inning later, the Wildcats scored three more. Soderstrom had an RBI double to score Quintana. Blas scored Soderstrom later in the inning on an RBI groundout and Stevenson scored Williams on an RBI single to make it 16-2 in favor of Arizona.
The Lobos got four runs back in the sixth, but that was it as Arizona used eight different pitchers in the win. Freshman Zach Sherman, who tossed 2 1/3 hitless innings in relief, earned the win, which marks the first of his career.
Arizona returns to action Friday at home versus No. 5 Oregon State. The three-game series will be televised by Pac-12 Network. First pitch Friday is set for 7 p.m.
The Arizona Wildcats scored a season-high 16 runs and tied a season high for hits with 18, topping host New Mexico 16-6 Monday evening at a windy Santa Ana Star Field.
The win improves Arizona to 17-10 on the season. The Wildcats have now won seven of their last eight games. New Mexico dropped to 12-14-1 on the season after earning a series win over the weekend against 23rd ranked San Diego State.
Cal Stevenson paced the Wildcats going 5 for 6 with three RBI and two runs scored for his first-career five hit game. Cameron Cannon and Nick Quintana each had three-hit games in the win, and Cesar Salazar and Tate Soderstrom each had two-hit games. Salazar finished 2 for 5 and has reached base safely in 25 straight games this season.
With winds reaching 25-plus miles per hour, both teams took advantage of the conditions early, trading runs in the first inning. Arizona scored its run on a long single off the wall from Quintana to score Cannon, who walked earlier in the inning.
The Lobos responded in the bottom half with a solo home run from Jared Mang to tie the game at one.
But in the second, Arizona exploded for five runs on six hits. Matt Fraizer started the rally with a one-out single and scored when the next batter, Jacob Blas, doubled to the right-centerfield wall. Blas advanced to third on an error by right fielder Derek Marshall on the play and then scored when Stevenson singled through the right side.
Cannon followed and unleashed on a 1-0 fastball for a home run over the left field wall for a two-run shot to make it 5-1. It was Cannon’s second home run of the season and second in the last three games. Alfonso Rivas followed Cannon’s blast with a walk and moved to third on Salazar’s second single of the game. After a pop out, Soderstrom, a freshman designated hitter, singled up the middle to score Rivas and make it 6-1.
The Lobos got one run back in the bottom half when Marshall homered over the right-center wall to make it 6-2.
After a scoreless third, Arizona broke the game open with a seven-run fourth inning. Soderstrom, Fraizer and Blas all drew bases loaded walks to plate the first three runs of the inning. After Donta Williams scored on a wild pitch, Stevenson and Cannon produced back-to-back RBI singles to plate two more. Rivas, who started the inning with a double, hit a sacrifice fly to score Stevenson for the seventh run of the inning.
An inning later, the Wildcats scored three more. Soderstrom had an RBI double to score Quintana. Blas scored Soderstrom later in the inning on an RBI groundout and Stevenson scored Williams on an RBI single to make it 16-2 in favor of Arizona.
The Lobos got four runs back in the sixth, but that was it as Arizona used eight different pitchers in the win. Freshman Zach Sherman, who tossed 2 1/3 hitless innings in relief, earned the win, which marks the first of his career.
Arizona returns to action Friday at home versus No. 5 Oregon State. The three-game series will be televised by Pac-12 Network. First pitch Friday is set for 7 p.m.
