The college baseball regular season last 14 weeks, and while the majority of the games are playing in weekend series there’s still room to get in one or two in between. So far this season Arizona has faced the likes of New Mexico, Rice, ASU, Kansas, Seattle and Grand Canyon, winning the first five before falling last Tuesday at GCU.
The Wildcats are now 6-1 in midweek games, beating New Mexico State 11-9 on Tuesday night at Hi Corbett Field, avenging a home loss to the Aggies last season. And it was very much a typical midweek college baseball affair.
Arizona (23-9) and New Mexico State (17-16) combined for 20 runs and 27 hits, with another 14 batters reaching on free passes as each team used six pitchers. The 1st inning alone lasted more than 40 minutes, with NMSU jumping out to a 4-0 lead before the Wildcats responded with five in the bottom of the innings.
The go-ahead run came in the bottom of the 8th on an RBI triple from Easton Breyfogle, who then came home on a sacrifice fly from TJ Adams.
“Whether it’s New Mexico State or Grand Canyon, or whoever we’re playing on the midweek, these teams come in here and they’re ready to play,” UA coach Chip Hale said. “I thought our guys did a good job of responding and battling the whole game, and the relievers did a good job of holding it down six through the ninth inning.”
Mason White hit two home runs onto the roof of the Terry Francona Hitting Center in right field, giving him 36 for his career to tie Kenny Corley for 4th on the school’s all-time list. He’s three behind former teammate Chase Davis, who on Tuesday belted a pair of homers for the Double-A Springfield Cardinals.
White hit a 2-run shot in the bottom of the 1st and added a 3-run bomb in the 4th. Both were on pitches down and in.
“That’s where I’ve been hot for my whole life, so they threw it in the wrong spot,” said White, who was 3 for 4 with five RBI.
Arizona started left-hander Jack Berg, who hadn’t appeared in a game in a month, and it did not go well. He only retired one of six batters he faced and ended up allowing four runs.
“We wanted to get Jack in there and see what he could do,” Hale said. “We’re really searching for lefties, and unfortunately it didn’t work out so well so you put yourself behind an 8-ball a little bit. The guys responded right away, got got the lead back.”
The UA led 6-4 after two innings but NMSU scored four in the 3rd against Raul Garazyar, who had only allowed four earned runs in 22.1 innings coming in. The Wildcats retook the lead at 9-8 in the 4th on White’s second homer but the Aggies tied it in the top of the 5th against Michael Hilker Jr.
Hilker escaped runners on second and third with 1 out in the 5th and then threw a 1-2-3 6th, starting a run of strong relief pitching. Matthew Martinez, Julian Tonghini and Tony Pluta each followed with scoreless innings, the win going to Tonghini and Pluta getting his sixth save in seven chances.
The bottom of the 8th saw Tommy Splaine lead off with a single and then score on a triple down the right field line. He easily made it to third base standing, showing no ill effects from recent quad injuries to both legs, and also beat a throw home with a headfirst slide.
“I think after tonight I got tested plenty,” said Breyfogle, who was 2 for 5 with three RBI. “So I feel like I’m definitely, if not 100 percent we’re getting there, and I should be good to go 100 percent this weekend.”
Arizona returns to Big 12 play this weekend when it hosts Oklahoma State (15-15, 4-6) for three. The Cowboys lost a midweek game at home to Oral Roberts on Tuesday after sweeping previously first-place Kansas State last weekend.
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