Box score
TUCSON, Ariz. – The 10th-ranked Arizona baseball team rapped out a season-high 14 base hits and cruised to a 15-4 victory over visiting San Jose State on Saturday evening before a crowd of 2,675 at Hi Corbett Field.
Arizona (6-1) erupted for three runs in the first inning and added seven more in the second to take a 10-0 lead just 30 minutes into the game. A total of ten Wildcats recorded a hit, eight scored a run and six collected an RBI as Arizona secured its second consecutive series win to open the season.
In the first inning, Scott Kingery led off with a single and five of the first six Wildcats reached base. Kevin Newman, who reached base five times in the game while scoring three runs, collected two of his three RBI on the night with a single through the right side that put the Wildcats up 3-0 after one inning.
The Wildcats chased Spartans’ starter David Wayne Russo from the game in the second inning. Nine of the first 10 batters in the frame reached base as Arizona scored seven runs on six hits and three walks. Brandon Dixon notched a pair of RBI on single up the middle and Ryan Koziol had a two-run double to right field in the inning.
Russo (1-1) suffered the loss after lasting just 1.1 innings. The lefty was charged with eight runs allowed – all earned – on six hits and three walks.
Arizona starter James Farris seemed to be in control early, facing just one over the minimum through three innings. But in the fourth, he hit Michael Gerlach with a pitch to lead off, and then gave up consecutive singles to Tim Quiery and Nick Schulz. Jacob Valdez and Matt Carroll followed with run-scoring groundouts before Ricky Acosta drove in a third run on a triple to right field.
Farris (2-0) earned his second consecutive win and pitched into the eighth inning, but still gave up four runs on eight hits and a walk in 7 1/3 innings. He followed up his career-high eight strikeout performance from a week ago with seven more punchouts.
The Wildcats kept on the offensive throughout the game, scoring single runs in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings respectively. After the Spartans pushed across their fourth run in the seventh, Arizona answered with two more in the home half to set the score at its eventual final, 15-4.
Dixon followed up his Friday night heroics with another busy day offensively. The junior third baseman scored three runs and had three RBI. The Murrieta, Calif., native now has six RBI in the series and 11 on the season.
Trent Gilbert, who entered the series batting .211, followed up a three-hit game on Friday night with a 2-for-4 day at the plate to raise his average to .333. The sophomore second baseman scored twice and drove in one run.
The bottom third of the order proved to be potent, too. Koziol had his big hit in the second out of the No. 7 hole, while designated hitter Tyler Parmenter had a hit, a walk and a run batted in out of the No. 8 slot. Zach Gibbons went 2-for-2 with a run scored and Cody Ramer had a hit and a pair of RBI as the freshmen split time in the No. 9 spot.
San Jose State (2-4) used four relief pitchers in the game, including Jason Kafka (2 2/3 IP), James Glawe (2), Ross Slaney (1) and John Oberholtzer (1) who combined to finish the game with seven runs allowed over the final 6 2/3 innings. The Spartans’ pitching staff combined to walk 10 hitters and hit three more.
For the Wildcats, freshman left-hander Cody Moffett pitched the final 1 2/3 scoreless innings behind Farris. Moffett allowed one hit and a walk to go with a pair of strikeouts.
The two clubs conclude the three-game series on Sunday. First pitch is scheduled for noon at Hi Corbett Field, with San Jose State’s D.J. Slaton (0-1, 1.8) scheduled to take the mound against Arizona’s Stephen Manthei (0-0, 7.71).
