'We did it again': Wildcats rally to win Pac-12 Tournament with 8th walk-off of season

SCOTTSDALE — Emilio Corona raced around third base and slid head-first across the plate to score the winning run for Arizona in the Pac-12 Tournament championship game.

What was he thinking as he popped up and raised his arms in the air?

“We did it again,” Corona said.

They sure did.

The Cardiac Cats were at it again Saturday night. Arizona rallied from a three-run deficit to defeat USC 4-3 in front of a lively crowd of 3,813 at Scottsdale Stadium. It was the UA’s eighth walk-off win of the season.

The Wildcats became first-time winners in the third and final Pac-12 Tournament. Paired with their regular-season title, they will merit serious consideration for one of the 16 host spots in the upcoming NCAA Tournament.

Tommy Splaine delivered the winning hit in the bottom of the ninth, driving in pinch runner Corona, who had stolen second during the previous at-bat.

“It means a lot,” said Splaine, who struggled to find his swing for much of the season. “I just really wanted to pull through for this team. We all love each other. That was just the big thing. Just really playing for the team.”

USC had won nine in a row and was in position to steal an NCAA bid with a 3-0 lead entering the bottom of the seventh. Arizona then mounted yet another rally.

The Wildcats ended up winning by the exact same score in almost the exact same fashion as last Saturday’s walk-off against Oregon State to clinch the regular-season crown. They even wore the same uniform combination and had the same starting pitcher, Cam Walty, on the mound.

“This was really scary early,” UA coach Chip Hale said. “The at-bats were not great. The defense was not great. We stuck with it. Again, it's all predicated on our starting pitching. When those guys keep us in the game, we'll have a chance.”

The lineup struggled against USC starter Caden Aoki, who baffled the Wildcats with an array of curveballs and changeups. Arizona didn’t register a hit until the seventh inning.

That hit, a single by tournament MVP Mason White, led to Arizona’s first run. Maddox Mihalakis drew a 10-pitch walk, and White advanced to third on a wild pitch. He scored on Blake McDonald’s sacrifice fly to left off reliever Xavier Martinez.

Arizona tied it in the bottom of the eighth. Splaine led off with a single, advanced to second on Richie Morales’ walk and scored on Brendan Summerhill’s single. Morales advanced to third on the play and scored on Garen Caulfield’s sacrifice fly to center.

Walty yielded more hard contact than usual, especially in the early innings, but he didn’t get much help from his defense.

After a one-out hit-by-pitch in the top of the third, first baseman Splaine couldn’t handle a spinning grounder. With runners on first and third, USC’s Ryan Jackson launched a ball to deep center field that Summerhill had trouble tracking. It landed over his head for an RBI double.

Right fielder Easton Breyfogle kept the score at 1-0 by making a running catch on the track in right-center to rob Kevin Takeuchi of an extra-base hit. Breyfogle then ran into his own defensive troubles.

Breyfogle misjudged two flyballs in the fourth, resulting in back-to-back triples for Ethan Hedges and Bryce Martin-Grudzielanek. The next hitter, Brayden Dowd, doubled to right-center to make it 3-0.

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Per usual, though, Walty gave his team a chance to win. Those three runs were all he allowed in eight innings.

“Defense wins championships,” said Splaine, who had two of Arizona’s five hits and received a Powerade shower from his teammates during a postgame interview. “Our pitching’s been nails all year. ... Walty just does what he does. He did it last Saturday as well. We have full trust in him and honestly every other pitcher behind him.”

Anthony “Tonko” Susac pitched a 1-2-3 ninth, setting up the dramatic finish.

McDonald reached via a one-out single off USC closer Josh Blum. Corona, who’s been limited to pinch-running because of a hand injury, came in for McDonald and stole second on the first pitch to Andrew Cain. Trojans coach Andy Stankiewicz elected to walk Cain to set up a right-on-right matchup with Splaine and a potential double play.

Splaine ripped a 2-1 slider into left. Carson Wells, younger brother of former UA star Austin Wells, made a strong throw to the plate. But it pulled catcher Jacob Galloway slightly toward first base, allowing Corona to beat his lunging tag.

So ended the Pac-12 Tournament and the conference as we’ve come to know it.

“What a great finish to the Pac-12, not only the baseball season but basically the sports history for this conference, whatever team wins,” Hale said.

“It's a sad deal that we're not going to be a Pac-12 Conference anymore,” he added. “But hey, we take ourselves into the Big 12 now.”

First comes the NCAA Tournament. The 16 hosts will be revealed at 5:30 p.m. Arizona time Sunday. The full field will be revealed Monday morning.

“We’re a great team. We love each other. You see what we can do. We’re a fun team to watch,” Splaine said. “I think we can do a lot of damage in the postseason.”

Inside pitch

• In addition to White, Summerhill and pitcher Clark Candiotti made the Pac-12 All-Tournament Team.

• White became the second Wildcat in as many years to be named tournament MVP, following outfielder Chase Davis.

• Walty has not allowed a walk in his past two appearances, covering 16⅓ innings.

Photos: Arizona walks off USC 4-3 for the last Pac 12 baseball tournament championship

Photos: Arizona cruises into the final Pac-12 tournament final with a 6-3 win over Stanford