The Arizona baseball team ended a four-game losing streak with a 16-4 victory over Air Force on Friday night at Hi Corbett Field.
Starter Cam Walty turned in another excellent outing, allowing three runs in seven innings with eight strikeouts and zero walks. Pac-12 RBI leader Kiko Romero went 4 for 5 with a career-high-tying six runs batted in, including an eighth-inning grand slam.
The Wildcats (24-19) improved to 19-6 at home. They've won nine in a row at Hi Corbett.
Arizona is 2-12 in true road games.
Walty proved he was human in the first inning, allowing a pair of runs. He hadn't surrendered a run in his previous four outings, a span of 20 innings.
Walty had little trouble from there in raising his record to 4-0. He missed the first month of the season because of injury and easily has been Arizona's most effective starter when healthy.
Walty got plenty of support. Arizona piled up a season-high 22 hits and scored nine runs in the seventh and eighth innings.
Mac Bingham matched Romero with four hits. Nik McClaughry, Emilio Corona and Tony Bullard each had three hits.
With the score 11-3 in top of the eighth, Dawson Netz entered with the bases loaded and no one out and retired three consecutive Falcons. Romero's opposite-field slam highlighted Arizona's five-run eighth.
Game 2 of the three-game non-conference series is slated for 6 p.m. Saturday.
Arizona baseball coach Chip Hale on the decision to move Cam Walty into the Friday-night starter's role (video by Ari Koslow/Special to the Arizona Daily Star)
