From Arizona Athletics
The Arizona Wildcats completed a three-game sweep of Bryant on Sunday at Hi Corbett Field, topping the Bulldogs 10-1 in front of 2,359 fans.
Arizona completed its fifth opening series sweep since 2011 and limited Bryant to just two runs in three games, which is tied for the lowest total in an opening series since 2011 against North Dakota State. The win improved Arizona to 50-14 at Hi Corbett Field under coach Jay Johnson.
Junior left-hander Avery Weems made his Arizona debut Sunday and picked up the win, continuing the solid pitching for the Wildcats.. The Flagstaff native went 5 2/3 innings, scattering six hits and allowing just one run with two walks and three strikeouts in 75 pitches.
After a pair of low-scoring affairs in Saturday’s doubleheader to open the series and the season, the Wildcats saw their bats wake up a bit in the series finale Sunday in support of Weems.
The Wildcats wasted no time getting Weems a lead, plating three runs in the first inning. Cal Stevenson led off with a single and moved to third on a double from Mitchell Morimoto. Alfonso Rivas brought Stevenson home with a sacrifice fly to left. After a fly out, sophomore second baseman Cameron Cannon singled to score Morimoto and make it 2-0.
The next batter, Cesar Salazar, roped a single to right field on a 3-0 count to make the score 3-0 and score Cannon, who advanced to second on the throw home to try to nab Morimoto.
In the third, the Cats went back to work to give Weems even more run support after Bryant plated a run in the second. Rivas started it up with a one-out single, and Nick Quintana followed with one of his own to put two runners on. Cannon walked to load the bases for Salazar. Salazar hit a sacrifice fly to left to score Rivas and make it 4-1.
Ryan Haug was then hit by a pitch to reload the bases with two outs. Travis Moniot, Matt Fraizer and Cal Stevenson drew three straight bases loaded walks to score three more runs and make it 7-1.
The lefty settled down, getting a 1-2-3 inning in the fourth. In the fifth, with two on and one out, Weems got a 4-6-3 double play to end the inning and keep it 7-1. He got two outs in the fifth, and exited with a runner on first. Juan Aguilera came on and got the final batter of the inning, before pitching a scoreless seventh with two strikeouts.
Freshman left-hander Gil Luna tossed a scoreless eighth, and the Cats added some more insurance in the bottom half.
Quintana had an RBI single and Cannon had a two-run double to make it 10-1 and close out the Bulldogs.
Quintana paced the way offensively, going 4 for 5 with an RBI, a run scored and his first two doubles on the season. Cannon also had a multi-hit game, going 2 for 4 with three RBI and two runs scored. Stevenson had a hit, an RBI and two runs scored and went 6 for 12 on the weekend.
Aguilera, Luna and Preston Price combined for 3 1/3 scoreless innings out of the bullpen, totaling four strikeouts and just two hits.
Arizona returns to action Wednesday in San Diego versus No. 4 Arkansas. Game time is 8 p.m.
The Arizona Wildcats completed a three-game sweep of Bryant on Sunday at Hi Corbett Field, topping the Bulldogs 10-1 in front of 2,359 fans.
Arizona completed its fifth opening series sweep since 2011 and limited Bryant to just two runs in three games, which is tied for the lowest total in an opening series since 2011 against North Dakota State. The win improved Arizona to 50-14 at Hi Corbett Field under coach Jay Johnson.
Junior left-hander Avery Weems made his Arizona debut Sunday and picked up the win, continuing the solid pitching for the Wildcats.. The Flagstaff native went 5 2/3 innings, scattering six hits and allowing just one run with two walks and three strikeouts in 75 pitches.
After a pair of low-scoring affairs in Saturday’s doubleheader to open the series and the season, the Wildcats saw their bats wake up a bit in the series finale Sunday in support of Weems.
The Wildcats wasted no time getting Weems a lead, plating three runs in the first inning. Cal Stevenson led off with a single and moved to third on a double from Mitchell Morimoto. Alfonso Rivas brought Stevenson home with a sacrifice fly to left. After a fly out, sophomore second baseman Cameron Cannon singled to score Morimoto and make it 2-0.
The next batter, Cesar Salazar, roped a single to right field on a 3-0 count to make the score 3-0 and score Cannon, who advanced to second on the throw home to try to nab Morimoto.
In the third, the Cats went back to work to give Weems even more run support after Bryant plated a run in the second. Rivas started it up with a one-out single, and Nick Quintana followed with one of his own to put two runners on. Cannon walked to load the bases for Salazar. Salazar hit a sacrifice fly to left to score Rivas and make it 4-1.
Ryan Haug was then hit by a pitch to reload the bases with two outs. Travis Moniot, Matt Fraizer and Cal Stevenson drew three straight bases loaded walks to score three more runs and make it 7-1.
The lefty settled down, getting a 1-2-3 inning in the fourth. In the fifth, with two on and one out, Weems got a 4-6-3 double play to end the inning and keep it 7-1. He got two outs in the fifth, and exited with a runner on first. Juan Aguilera came on and got the final batter of the inning, before pitching a scoreless seventh with two strikeouts.
Freshman left-hander Gil Luna tossed a scoreless eighth, and the Cats added some more insurance in the bottom half.
Quintana had an RBI single and Cannon had a two-run double to make it 10-1 and close out the Bulldogs.
Quintana paced the way offensively, going 4 for 5 with an RBI, a run scored and his first two doubles on the season. Cannon also had a multi-hit game, going 2 for 4 with three RBI and two runs scored. Stevenson had a hit, an RBI and two runs scored and went 6 for 12 on the weekend.
Aguilera, Luna and Preston Price combined for 3 1/3 scoreless innings out of the bullpen, totaling four strikeouts and just two hits.
Arizona returns to action Wednesday in San Diego versus No. 4 Arkansas. Game time is 8 p.m.
