The University of Arizona baseball team put an emphatic end to its five-game losing streak Sunday, jumping all over host Utah early and holding on for an 18-12 win to avoid a three-game sweep.
Alfonso Rivas homered twice as the Wildcats set season-highs for runs, hits (20) and extra-base hits (eight).
Rivasβ first homer was to straightaway center in the top of the first to put UA up 1-0.
The Wildcats (24-17, 7-11 Pac-12) went up 6-1 in the fourth by scoring four runs, then added three in the sixth to make it 10-5. Arizona scored eight times in the seventh to go up 18-5.
The Utes scored three times in the eighth and four times in the ninth.
Rivas scored three times and drove in five runs. Nick Quintana also homered and was 3 for 5 with three runs and three RBIs. Matt Fraizer added four hits and Jacob Blas had three.
Zach Stone (1-0) earned the win in relief with a scoreless inning. Starting pitcher Juan Aguilera allowed three earned runs on six hits in 3ΒΊ innings.
UA visits Utah Valley at 6 p.m. Monday. The Wildcats gets back to Pac-12 play when it hosts UCLA starting Thursday night. The Wildcats have 12 Pac-12 games remaining on the schedule.
