No. 9 Arizona Baseball Sweeps USC Trojans in Tucson

Continuing to truck along in the 2016-17 season, the Arizona Baseball team completed a three-game sweep over the visiting USC Trojans this past weekend.

Another weekend series against a Pac-12 foe, another sweep for the Arizona Baseball team. The Wildcats got back to their winning ways this week, after beating Grand Canyon earlier. Arizona dismantled the visiting Trojans this past weekend.

Needing to rebound after being swept by the top-ranked Oregon State Beavers, the Wildcats responded in a big way. Arizona opened their series against the Trojans on Friday, with senior JC Cloney on the mound.

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The Wildcats would strike early in this one, taking a 2-0 lead after just the first inning. However, Arizona would really open up the game after a big, five-run inning in the bottom of the fifth.

Arizona would get a lot of production from a number of players including; Mitchell Morimoto, Alfonso Rivas, JJ Matijevic, Jared Oliva and Nick Quintana, all who would combine for 11 of the Cats’ 14 hits, including six RBI’s and eight of the teams’ nine runs.

Cloney would again dominate the mound, pitching seven, strong innings of baseball, surrendering just two runs (both earned), striking out four, while walking just two batters. He would improve to 6-0 on the season!

Tootsie Rolls for everyone!

Game two would be another dominating performance for Arizona. Freshman Randy Labaut got the start in this one, putting together a spectacular performance.

Labaut would pitch six marvelous innings of baseball, surrendering USC’s only run on the day. He and sophomore Cody Deason, would hold the Trojans to just one hit, and that one run. Together, the two would combine for nine strikeouts. Randy would also pick up his first win of the season.

Offensively, it was Oliva and Matijevic who would lead the way, combining for three hits, and were both responsible for driving in four of the five Wildcats’ runs…including this massive two-run homer!

https://twitter.com/ArizonaBaseball/status/848364807564795904

Arizona would go on to win game two by a 5-1 final!

Looking to bring out the brooms for the sweep on Sunday, the Wildcats came out swinging! The Wildcats would score all eight of their runs Sunday, in just the first five innings of play.

Louis Boyd, finally back from injury would get things going early, singling to right field, and scoring Morimoto from third. Arizona however, would really open the flood gates in the fifth inning, scoring four runs.

Once again the Wildcats would get another solid pitching outing, this time from junior Rio Gomez. Gomez would go five innings in this one, holding the Trojans scoreless, and striking out just one batter.

Veterans Michael Flynn, Cameron Ming, and Landon Faulkner would come on in relief, finishing out the remaining four innings, surrendering just one run on five hits. Gomez would pick up the win, and improve to 3-3 on the season.

After the successful week of baseball, the Wildcats now improve to 20-7 (5-4) on the season, with their lone game against coming on Tuesday in Tucson. Following the one-game series, Arizona will then pack-up for Pullman to take on the Cougars next weekend.

First pitch against the Sun Devils on Tuesday waa set for 7 p.m. MST. Arizona beat the Sun Devils 11-2 on Cal Stevensons first home run which just happened to be a grand slam.

Must Read: JC Cloney's Parents make Watching Arizona Baseball so much fun

At Zona Zealots, we’re just glad UofA could find their groove again, and hope that the momentum this past week, carries into this week. Bear Down, Arizona!