In a surprising twist to a still young season, the Arizona Wildcats entered Tuesday night in search of offense. Yes, offense.
Arizona (5-3) got just enough of it to beat New Mexico State 5-4 at Hi Corbett Field. The Wildcats had lost three of their previous four.
The UA led the Pac-12 in just about every meaningful batting category last season. Arizona lost two of its premier hitters in JJ Matijevic and Jared Oliva but returned a strong nucleus. If anything was going to hold back the 2018 Wildcats, it would be pitching.
Yet through seven games, the exact opposite had unfolded. Arizona had a 1.87 team ERA — second best in the conference and 11th best in the nation – when Tuesday’s game against NMSU began. The Wildcats ranked last in the Pac-12 in batting average (.211), slugging percentage (.286), home runs (one) and total bases (61).
"I think some guys are trying to find their way a little bit," UA coach Jay Johnson said. "As coaches, that’s why we have jobs. We’ve just gotta keep cracking rocks and doing crazy stuff with them to get them through the tough patches."
The Cats' early struggles at the plate made for a fascinating matchup with the Aggies, who came to Tucson leading the country in average (.399), on-base percentage (.520) and runs (117). New Mexico State scored more runs in one game — a record-setting 39-0 blowout against Mississippi Valley State — than Arizona had the entire season (33).
So of course it was the Wildcats who erupted for five runs in the decisive fourth inning.
Four of the runs in that big inning came via balls that never left the infield. When you aren’t scoring the way you’re accustomed to, you take what you can get.
The inning began with well-struck singles by Cesar Salazar and Tate Soderstrom — one of three freshmen making their starting debuts in a revamped lineup. Ryan Haug’s sacrifice bunt moved the runners to second and third.
Mitchell Morimoto, pinch-hitting for freshman Donta Williams, hit a grounder to the right of NMSU second baseman Bruno Teramoto. Teramoto fielded the ball but threw wide of first for an error. Salazar and Soderstrom scored.
Jacob Blas — the third of the freshmen — followed with an infield single for his first career hit. Arizona then scored consecutive runs on sacrifice bunts by Matt Fraizer and Cameron Cannon. Alfonso Rivas III capped the inning with an RBI single to center.
Small ball was the only feasible game plan on a night that began with the wind blowing in at about 20 mph.
"This was the most miserable offensive place in the world for the first five innings," Johnson said. "I was worried. We played the infield in (with runners on third) because of the conditions. In the second inning, my coaches were looking at me like, ‘You’re nuts.’ But standing out there, it just looked like everything we hit was going to get knocked down. Runs were going to be a premium."
Neither team hit a ball over an outfielder’s head until Aggies pinch-hitter Nick Gonzales blasted a ground-rule double to left-center in the top of the seventh. NMSU scored twice that inning to trim its deficit to 5-4.
Arizona starter Randy Labaut couldn’t match his career-best performance from last week against then-No. 4 Arkansas, but he helped put the Wildcats in a position to win. The sophomore left-hander allowed two runs on seven hits in 4 1/3 innings. He struck out four, didn’t walk a batter and received some significant assistance from his defense.
With one out and runners on first and third in the top of the third, Tristen Carranza hit a fly ball to medium left field. Haug snatched it and threw a one-hop strike to the plate, where Salazar tagged out a sliding Logan Bottrell for an inning-ending double play.
Tylor Megill threw two scoreless innings to earn his third save.
"Each game is going to be decided on two or three pitches," Johnson said. "You just don’t know when they’re going to come. Tonight we won the pitches."
Inside pitch
- Williams started in center field for Cal Stevenson, who was out because of a stomach bug. Stevenson had a team-best .419 on-base percentage entering Tuesday.
- NMSU freshman DH Noah Haupt did not play because of an undisclosed injury. Haupt went 6 for 7 with two home runs and 10 RBIs in the 39-0 win over Mississippi Valley State on Saturday. He’s 13 for 22 this season.
- Arizona faces Minnesota on Friday in Minneapolis in the Pac-12/Big Ten Challenge. The UA plays Illinois on Saturday and Michigan State on Sunday. All the games are at U.S. Bank Stadium, home of the Minnesota Vikings and Super Bowl 52.
