Arizona Baseball continues solid start to the 2020 season

SAN DIEGO, CA – Despite losing to Minnesota earlier in the week, the Arizona Baseball team (5-2) rebounded by having a solid weekend.

It’s still early in the 2020 season, but so far the Arizona Baseball is off to a solid start, wrapping up a weekend of games against Southern Illinois, Iowa and Nebraska.

If you saw from last weekend, the Wildcats got out to a hot start, sweeping Albany, while outscoring the Great Danes 38-10 in three games.

Arizona Wildcats

Then the Wildcats followed that up with a tough, 5-2 loss to Minnesota on Monday while playing in Tempe.

Hoping to quickly put that all behind them, the Wildcats returned to action on Friday, traveling to San Diego for a packed weekend of action!

Up first would be Southern Illinois, where Garrett Irvin would take to the mound first. Things would start out strong for the Cats, especially as Arizona broke the scoreless tie first, when Matt Dyer would fly out in the first inning to make it 1-0 Arizona!

Then things would get shaky over the next couple innings, as the Wildcats would struggle to keep the Salukis’ offense at bay, especially as SIU would go up 5-1 after the third inning.

Needing to find offense quickly, Arizona would get solo homers from Austin Wells and Mac Bingham in back-to-back innings to cut SIU’s lead to just 5-3.

Arizona would pull ahead for good in the fifth inning, using some timely hitting to re-take the lead at 6-5 and ultimately sealing the win.

Irvin would eventually earn the win, pitching five innings, surrendering five runs on seven hits. Gil Luna would come on in relief later, getting his first save of the season.

Game two wouldn’t quite go the way Arizona had hoped, especially as the Wildcats took on the Iowa Hawkeyes. Sophomore pitcher Quinn Flanagan would get the start in this one, but unfortunately for him, it would be his or Arizona’s day.

Iowa would get out to a quick start, scoring two runs each in the bottom of the second and third innings respectively, as they jumped out to a 4-0 lead.

Although the Wildcats would hold the Hawkeyes scoreless for the rest of the game, unfortunately for Arizona they wouldn’t be able to muster enough offense to come back into this one, falling by a 4-1 final.

Needing to rebound in game three, Arizona would return to the diamond to take on Nebraska, in dire need of a win!

Turning to Chandler Murphy for the start, the Wildcats would fall behind early when Nebraska would score on a fly out to make it 1-0 after two innings.

The Wildcats’ offense would finally come to life when Blake Paugh would homer in the fourth inning, followed by another home run from Paugh again in the sixth inning, this time on a two-run to make it 3-1 Arizona.

Luckily for the Wildcats, that’s all Arizona would need in this one as they held on to the 3-2 win against the Cornhuskers.

Blake would steal the show offensively, going 2-4 from the late, hitting two home runs with three RBI’s, while Murphy would pick up his second win on the year, after pitching five and one-third innings, surrendering no earned runs on two hits, while striking out seven.

Arizona’s Vince Vannelle would pick up the save here, helping the Wildcats improve to 5-2 on the season.

After this past weekends action, Arizona will have a little break before before returning to action against Central Michigan on Wednesday and Friday, followed by a two-game series against Rhode Island.

At Zona Zealots, we’re hoping for continued solid play from the Wildcats, especially as they take on the Chippewas and the Rams! As always, Bear Down, Arizona!