This wasn’t the first stellar performance by Arizona left-hander Randy Abshier during the 2020-21 baseball season. He had ranked among the Wildcats’ leaders in ERA during fall ball. He had pitched well leading into the campaign.
But opportunities to pitch in games were hard to come by. Abshier still wasn’t consistently throwing strikes. The matchups weren’t quite right.
Everything came together for the third-year sophomore Tuesday night against Arizona State.
In his first appearance since March 13, Abshier pitched 3 2/3 shutout innings out of the bullpen as the Wildcats rallied to defeat the Sun Devils 14-2 in a non-conference game at Hi Corbett Field.
Abshier allowed only one hit. More significant, he didn’t walk a single batter. Entering Tuesday, Abshier had walked 30 hitters in 25 2/3 frames over the past two-plus seasons. He had a career WHIP of 2.38.
“It's just a lot of preparation,” said Abshier, who threw 27 of 37 pitches for strikes and earned his second career win. “I felt very focused on the mound. And just executed pitches where they were called.”
The victory gave Arizona three wins in what essentially was a four-game series against ASU – three Pac-12 contests in Phoenix last week followed by Tuesday’s non-conference game. The Sun Devils won all four games when the teams last faced each other in 2019.
No. 16 Arizona (19-8) has won six of eight games since dropping two of three at UCLA to open Pac-12 play March 19-21. The UA hosts Cal this weekend. ASU fell to 16-8.
Abshier spearheaded a relief corps that combined for seven shutout innings. The UA bullpen allowed only one earned run in 19 frames in the four games against ASU.
“I can't tell you how big that was for our team, our pitching staff and hopefully a sign of really good things to come out of him because we could use another left-hander out of the bullpen,” UA coach Jay Johnson said. “He certainly has the talent to do it. So to match that up with that kind of performance tonight was awesome. He was the difference in the game.”
In each victory over ASU, Arizona overcame a deficit. Tuesday’s was 2-0 entering the bottom of the third.
The Wildcats then posted two-plus runs in each of the next five innings. Third baseman Nik McClaughry registered the biggest blow – a three-RBI double over the head of center fielder Joe Lampe in the bottom of the sixth. Arizona had been 0 for 4 with the bases loaded up to that point. The extra-base hit extended the Wildcats’ from 7-2 to 10-2.
Arizona leftfielder Tanner O'Tremba (44) crashes into the fence and loses his grip on the ball, which ended up being called a homer for Arizona State's Jack Moss (7) in the first inning of their Pac 12 game at Hi Corbett Field, Ariz., April 6, 2021.
McClaughry, a transfer from Sacramento City College, came to Arizona as a defensive specialist. But he has proved to be an effective hitter at the bottom of the order since entering the lineup for the injured Tony Bullard.
McClaughry went 2 for 4 Tuesday, his fifth two-hit game in his past eight appearances. He had a career-high four RBIs and is batting .414 (12 for 29).
“Nik's a winning-type player,” Johnson said earlier in the week. “He has a great baseball mind. ... He really takes (to) what we're trying to do – run quality at-bats, execute the situational-hitting component of it in the nine-hole, turn the lineup over.”
Johnson was able to empty the bench by the end of the game as Arizona scored 10 or more runs for the 11th time this season. The Wildcats had 13 hits and drew 10 walks. They went 7 for 20 with runners in scoring position after going 1 for 12 in Saturday’s 3-2 loss to the Sun Devils.
“We were just ourselves. I think the other night was an anomaly,” Johnson said. “I thought we managed zone extremely well. I thought we stayed within ourselves really well.
“I really liked how we played tonight. We had a clear view of what we wanted to do in all phases of the game, and we executed that. It was a great baseball performance by our team.”
‘Coolest thing in the world’
Aari McDonald, the star of the UA women’s basketball team, threw out the ceremonial first pitch. McDonald, who shoots with her left hand, fired a right-handed strike to Wildcats center fielder Donta’ Williams, who was crouched behind the plate.
“I really wanted her to come do that, and I didn't know if it was going to logistically be possible,” Johnson said. “I’ve been so impressed with her as a competitor, as a person. I literally don't know if I've ever seen one player change the fortune of a program (more than her).
“She's obviously a great talent but positively influences everybody else around her. So I thought that was the coolest thing in the world that she was here tonight.
“I was surprised she was a righty for sure. Not surprised: nice, athletic-looking delivery and fired one in there to Donta’.”
Inside pitch
- UA outfielder Blake Paugh, who has been out because of a back injury, made his first appearance since March 6. Paugh pinch hit in the seventh inning. He grounded out to third.
- Bullard also returned to action after being sidelined by a back injury. He pinch hit in the eighth and singled to left. Bullard had been out since March 22.
- The announced attendance was 1,348, a season high. The attendance has risen steadily since fans were allowed to attend games on March 11.
