Scoreboard watching was the theme of the night at Hi Corbett Field.
Inconveniently for No. 8 Arizona, the scoreboard at Hi C merited more scrutiny than the Wildcats had hoped.
In Game 1 of a series that has no bearing on the Pac-12 title race – but could damage the Wildcats’ RPI and NCAA Tournament seeding – Arizona edged Dixie State 4-2 Thursday in front of an announced crowd of 1,312.
The victory was the Wildcats’ 13th in a row at home but wasn’t exactly a work of art.
Entering Thursday, Arizona (39-14) led the nation in runs and hits. The Cats managed only five hits against a team that had a 7.85 ERA.
Dixie State committed four errors, and only two of the six runs scored in the game were earned.
“I’ll be frank – I thought we looked incredibly tired and spent a little bit, which is not surprising,” UA coach Jay Johnson said. “These guys have played hard every single game of the year. The extra day off this weekend before getting going will benefit our team greatly. I thought they competed through it pretty well.”
On the bright side, Arizona excelled from the mound. Three pitchers – Chandler Murphy, Randy Abshier and Gil Luna – combined to yield four hits and zero earned runs.
Abshier allowed one run in 2 2/3 innings to improve to 4-0. Luna got the final four outs to earn his first save. The crowd was standing, clapping and stomping as Luna retired the final DSU batter – a preview of what’s to come when Arizona hosts regional play next weekend.
“It was awesome,” said first baseman Branden Boissiere, who went 2 for 5 and drove in the Wildcats’ final run in the eighth inning. “When Gil got to two strikes on the last batter I looked at (second baseman) Kobe (Kato). I was like, ‘Man, I've never seen it seen it like this here before.’
“It gives us a lot of confidence. It's going to be really exciting to play in front of a lot of fans with my boys out there.”
Meanwhile, in Berkeley, California, Oregon defeated Cal 11-5. The Wildcats need the Golden Bears to beat the Ducks at least once this weekend to clinch sole possession of the Pac-12 championship.
Arizona already has secured co-champ status and, by virtue of a series win vs. Oregon, the conference’s automatic berth in the NCAA Tournament.
Johnson downplayed the possibility of a letdown against Dixie State, which entered Thursday ranked 235th in RPI.
The Trailblazers (23-31) had won eight games in a row, however, and they gave the Wildcats everything they could handle.
The trouble began in the second inning, and it was self-inflicted. With one out and a runner on first, DSU’s Tyson Fisher hit a comebacker to UA starter Chandler Murphy. Murphy threw errantly toward second base, putting runners on first and third.
After a single made it 1-0, Murphy induced another would-be inning-ending double-play ball. But Kato bobbled the grounder and got only one out, enabling another run to score to make it 2-0.
Aside from the error, Murphy performed well it what amounted to an audition of sorts for the No. 3 starting job. Murphy, who began the season as a starter before finding a niche as a long reliever, allowed only those two runs (both unearned) in five innings. The outing was his longest since a five-inning, no-hit relief effort at Arizona State on April 1.
“In looking at the postseason, you take them one game at a time with all hands on deck,” Johnson said. “We’ve been in the situation before where we had to play five games and win four to win a regional. I know what that looks like in terms of the guys that are gonna have to make contributions.
“We certainly feel good about him as a starter. So I wouldn't call it an audition. I think it was more of, ‘Hey, let's get you back in a pregame routine should we need to use you in that role next week.’ ”
Arizona’s top two starters, Chase Silseth and Garrett Irvin, are locked in. The Wildcats had been using a committee approach in series finales, with Austin Smith recently serving as the opener. But Smith failed to record an out Sunday at Oregon State, and Murphy got the nod Thursday.
“I love starting,” Murphy said. “But I also love getting the ball in big situations out of the bullpen. So whatever they need me for, I'll do.”
Inside pitch
- Tyler Casagrande made his second consecutive start in left field. Johnson said regular left fielder Mac Bingham is not available this weekend for unspecified reasons.
- Luna hasn’t allowed an earned run in 10 consecutive appearances spanning 19 2/3 innings. His ERA is 0.92.
- Boissiere recorded his first multi-hit game since May 2.
- DSU assistant coach and recruiting coordinator Bobby Rinard played for and coached under Andy Lopez at Arizona. Rinard played for the Wildcats in 2010 and ’11 after transferring from Yavapai College. He served as an undergraduate assistant in 2014. Rinard joined the DSU staff the following season.
- Silseth (8-1, 5.08 ERA) is slated to start in Game 2 Friday. He will face righty Jimmy Borzone (3-5, 6.68).
