The Arizona Wildcats finally achieved an elusive objective Sunday:
They completed a sweep of a Pac-12 series.
No. 13 Arizona defeated USC 8-4 on a warm, windy afternoon at Hi Corbett Field. The Wildcats already had won the series Saturday night, their fifth consecutive series triumph. But in three previous attempts to clinch a sweep — against Oregon, Arizona State and Cal — they had come up short.
What was different this time? Arizona’s pitching was vastly improved.
Four hurlers combined to yield four runs on only five hits. Right-hander Austin Smith started, didn’t allow a hit in 3 1/3 innings and earned his first career win. Chandler Murphy struck out six in 3 1/3 frames out of the bullpen. Vince Vannelle threw 2 1/3 perfect innings to earn his team-leading sixth save.
In the two previous attempts to sweep at home, Arizona surrendered 27 runs while making only one error. The Wildcats pulled it off this time without top reliever Preston Price, who’s out because of an injury.
“Obviously we would all love for Preston to be here right now, but that’s not the reality of the situation,” Vannelle said. “So we just have to compete with what we have. It doesn’t matter who gets the ball.”
The victory was Arizona’s sixth in a row and its sixth straight against USC. The Wildcats (27-11, 12-6 Pac-12) have won four consecutive series against the Trojans (18-16, 6-9) and have won the past eight meetings at Hi Corbett.
With a conference winning percentage of .667, Arizona is in a four-way tie for first place in the Pac-12. The Wildcats have the most wins among that group.
UA coach Jay Johnson downplayed the significance of the sweep, but it clearly meant something to the players. Bullpen catcher Sam Tetrault held a push broom aloft during the postgame team meeting.
“With this age group, things can be so day to day or week to week,” Johnson said. “We’re just really trying to preach a message of consistency relative to their preparation and relative to what the game requires to win. We just haven’t played as good maybe on a couple Sundays as we have on Friday or Saturday. ... I’m pleased with their effort in terms of showing up ready to play.”
The UA offense scored eight-plus runs for the sixth consecutive time, and freshman catcher Daniel Susac again played an integral role.
Susac led off the three-run second inning with an infield single. He drove in two runs in the sixth with a sharp single to center. He finished 3 for 4 to extend a six-game hitting streak. Susac has 14 hits in 28 at-bats (.500) with four home runs and 14 RBIs over that span.
Susac and classmate Jacob Berry are duking it out for Pac-12 Freshman of the Year — and perhaps Player of the Year. Berry, a third baseman/DH, socked his team-leading 11th home run in the eighth inning. He’s batting .396 with 44 RBIs. Susac is hitting .333 with nine homers and 41 RBIs.
“They’re special talents, no question about that,” Johnson said. “What’s unique about them is they’re able to take that talent and it’s usable skill right now. That says more about their maturity than their ability, because there’s good freshmen all over the Pac-12 because of the shortened draft.
“They understand baseball, they understand what we’re asking them to do and, most importantly, they understand their role in helping the team win.”
USC’s most serious threat came in the seventh inning. Two walks, a double and an infield single scored two runs and brought the tying run to the plate. Making his first appearance of the weekend, Vannelle needed only one pitch to induce Jamal O’Guinn into an inning-ending groundout.
Vannelle hadn’t had a clean outing — no baserunners — since Feb. 25. He credited his work during the week with mental coach Karlene Pick, who helped Vannelle get his mind right.
“I felt like all my pitches so far this year have been pretty good,” Vannelle said. “But this week I really just decided to focus on the mental aspect, because I noticed in my recent outings that my mind was going like a thousand miles an hour. I was always thinking about what’s next, who’s on deck, ‘I gotta get this guy out.’ Today I was just really thinking about this pitch right now.
“The whole week I was working with (Pick) just trying to get myself cleared up, because I haven’t been as clean as I wanted to (be) this year. I feel like this is probably a good step in the right direction.”
Added Johnson: “He was tremendous in the eighth and ninth. Best outing of the year for Vince by far.”
Inside pitch
- Donta’ Williams, Branden Boissiere and Ryan Holgate each had two hits for Arizona. Boissiere raised his average to a team-best .397.
- No. 9 hitter Nik McClaughry had a two-RBI double in the second inning. He has 18 RBIs in 65 at-bats without the benefit of a home run.
- UA football coach Jedd Fisch threw out the ceremonial first pitch. Fisch borrowed a glove from the team earlier in the week and warmed up with outfielder Chase Davis before taking the mound.
- Arizona is off until Friday, when it opens a three-game home series against Utah.
Arizona's remaining regular-season schedule
Friday, April 30: Utah at Arizona, 6 p.m.
Saturday, May 1: Utah at Arizona, 6 p.m.
Sunday, May 2: Utah at Arizona, 11 a.m.
Tuesday, May 4: Grand Canyon at Arizona, 6 p.m.
Friday, May 7: Arizona at Stanford, 6 p.m.
Saturday, May 8: Arizona at Stanford, 2 p.m.
Sunday, May 9: Arizona at Stanford, 1 p.m.
Monday, May 10: Arizona at Santa Clara, 1 p.m.
Friday, May 14: Washington at Arizona, 6 p.m.
Saturday, May 15: Washington at Arizona, 6 p.m.
Sunday, May 16: Washington at Arizona, TBA
Tuesday, May 18: New Mexico State at Arizona, 6 p.m.
Friday, May 21: Arizona at Oregon State, 5:35 p.m.
Saturday, May 22: Arizona at Oregon State, 1:35 p.m.
Sunday, May 23: Arizona at Oregon State, 1:05 p.m.
Thursday, May 27: Dixie State at Arizona, 6 p.m.
Friday, May 28: Dixie State at Arizona, 6 p.m.
Saturday, May 29: Dixie State at Arizona, 6 p.m.
