Arizona Baseball gets back on track against Wisconsin-Milwaukee

TUCSON, AZ-  After a bit of a rough stretch, the Arizona Baseball team (8-4) gets back on track in a series win over Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

After starting the year red hot, the Arizona Baseball team has come falling back to Earth a bit, winning just one game against Houston, and blowing a late lead to New Mexico.

Needing a big series, the Cats got back into action when they took on Wisconsin-Milwaukee as part of a three-game series that started on Friday.

Arizona Wildcats

Against the Panthers in front of the Wildcat faithful at Hi-Corbett, Arizona was prepared for a big night. Junior Randy Labaut would get the start in this one, but ultimately he would struggle against a solid hitting, Milwaukee-Wisconsin team.

From the start it was all Arizona, as they took the early, 3-0 lead. After a fly out by Donta Williams that would score Nick Quintana, a couple batters later would set-up Tate Soderstrom, who would single to bring in two more runs in that second inning.

Arizona would add two more runs in the third as well as one in the fourth on a solo shot from Matt Fraizer, before the Panthers would finally get things going themselves. Trailing 6-1 to enter the fifth, that’s when Milwaukee-Wisconsin would respond, unloading for five runs in the inning to tie it.

Luckily, the Wildcats wouldn’t allow the Panthers to get back into this one, regaining the lead in the bottom of the fifth inning on a Matthew Dyer single that would put the Cats back in front at 7-6.

A huge sixth inning would virtually put this one away for good, when the Wildcats would unload for five runs in the inning to put them up 12-6 and the eventual 14-6 win, which was head coach Jay Johnson’s 200th Division one win!

Junior pitcher Nate Brown would pick-up the win (his first one the year) in this one, as he would pitch just two-thirds inning, surrendering just one hit.

The Wildcats would great offensive production from virtually everywhere in this one, but it was perhaps Dyer and Austin Wells that stole the show in this one, combining for five hits in nine at-bats with four RBI’s.

Quintana would also finish the game 1-2 from the plate with two RBI’s. He would also be walked two times in this one. Quintana now has 11 on the season which is tied for 52nd in the NCAA.

On Saturday, it was a completely different story. The Wildcats got out to another quick start in this one, as a big second inning would put them up 4-2, however, that’s all the scoring the Cats would do in this one.

A big fifth inning by the Panthers would put them back in front for good as Milwaukee-Wisconsin cruised to the 10-4 victory.

Freshman Bryce Collins would get the nod for Arizona in this one, but the rough go in the fifth inning would ultimately give him the loss, as he pitched four and two-thirds innings, surrendering five runs (three-earned) on seven hits.

Despite Arizona’s best attempts to get back into this one, it was ultimately their errors and defensive lapses that cost them the win in this one.

Hoping to get the series win, Arizona would need a much-better outing from start to finish on Sunday!

With not much doing in the first few innings, things would finally come to life in the fourth inning, when the Panthers would plate three runs to take the lead, as well as adding another in the fourth to make it 4-0. Arizona would finally start to come back in this one, when a strong fifth inning would put them within one at 4-3.

Another big inning by the Panthers in the sixth inning would make it 7-3, but luckily the Wildcats would not go away.

Trailing 7-3, a triple by Williams would bring in two to cut the lead to 7-5. A couple batters later, Arizona would use some well-placed hits to tie this one, when a sacrifice fly from Wells would score Cameron Cannon to tie this one at 7-7.

However, MWU wouldn’t go away quietly in this one. Still tied 7-7 heading into the eighth, the Panthers would explode for four runs to re-gain the lead at 11-7.

Arizona wouldn’t have much doing offensively in the eighth inning, but luckily they were able to hold MWU to zero runs in the top of the ninth.

Still trailing 11-7 and needing some kind of magic, the Wildcats would get to work!

Wells would first start the inning by flying out, but a single by Dyer followed by a double from Soderstrom made it 11-8. A ground out by Tyler Casagrande advance Soderstrom to third, but would leave Arizona with just one out left.

A single by freshman Dayton Dooney would then score Soderstrom from third, making it 11-9. Another single by Williams would set-up Cannon who would hit a single up the middle to make it 11-10.

With runners on the corners and two outs, Fraizer would then come up, taking a pitch to right field that would score Williams from third, while advancing Cannon to third and making it 11-11.

Looking for the heroics one more time in this inning, Quintana would be the one to seal this one, as the junior came to the plate with all the momentum for the Cats. Tied 11-11 and facing a 0-1 pitch, Quintana would single down the left field line, scoring Cannon and helping to deliver the 12-11 victory in walk-off fashion!

With the win, the Wildcats improve to 8-4, splitting the week-long action of games. Sophomore Gil Luna was able to pick-up the win for the Cats (his first on the year).

Fraizer would seemingly lead the way offensively in this one, as the junior outfielder finished the game 3-6 from the plate, with three RBI’s. Williams would also have a nice game, finishing 2-3 from the plate with two RBI’s.

The Wildcats will return to action on Tuesday, when they take on visiting Michigan State (1-9), before again returning to action on Friday, against College of Charleston (9-3) for a three-game series.

At Zona Zealots, we’re happy to see the Cats come away victorious this weekend, especially as they rallied from a big deficit! Bear Down, Arizona!