TUCSON, Ariz. – The Arizona baseball team overcame a brief deficit with an eight-run fourth inning to highlight a 20-hit performance at the plate, and James Farris tossed a complete game as the Wildcats dispatched visiting Southern California 18-4 before a crowd of 4,019 on senior night at Hi Corbett Field.
Kevin Newman went 3 for 5 with three runs scored and a career-high six runs batted in to account for half of Arizona’s season-high-tying 18 runs scored. Not to be outdone, Joseph Maggi continued his torrid late-season hitting with a 4-for-4 effort that included a run batted in and a pair of runs scored.
The two sparked an eight-run rally as the Wildcats erased a 3-2 deficit in the fourth inning.
Newman opened the decisive frame by reaching on an error by shortstop Blake Lacey, before stealing second. After being bunted to second by Zach Gibbons, Newman scored on a wild pitch, which allowed David Lopez to reach first base as he swung and missed at the pitch in the dirt that skipped to the backstop.
Cody Ramer followed with a run-scoring triple to the right field corner, and Maggi immediately followed with an RBI triple of his own to put the Wildcats back on top, 4-3.
Three consecutive singles from the top of Arizona’s order kept the inning going. Johnny Field’s single plated Maggi, and after Trent Gilbert reached on a hit, Brandon Dixon’s single tacked on another.
Later, Newman delivered a two-run single to cap the Wildcats’ highest scoring inning of the season.
By game’s end, Arizona (33-21, 14-15 Pac-12) had nine different players score a run and nine account for at least one run batted in. Six different Wildcats tallied multiple hits in the game, and the club finished 12-for-19 with runners in scoring position.
Arizona (33-21, 14-15 Pac-12) struck first with a pair of runs in the opening inning. Field led off with a single and scored on Gilbert’s RBI double to left field. After a single by Dixon and a sacrifice bunt by Riley Moore, Newman drove in his first run of the night on a groundout to put the Wildcats on top, 2-0.
Southern California (20-35, 10-19 Pac-12) claimed a one-run lead in the fourth inning against UA starter James Farris, who walked Lacey to load the bases with two down. Timmy Robinson followed with a bases-clearing triple the scooted under the glove of right fielder Zach Gibbons, whose diving attempt came up just a few inches short.
The only other run Farris allowed came in the sixth inning when Greg Zebrack led off with a triple and scored on Dante Flores’ double.
Otherwise Farris (W, 5-5) was strong all night, going the distance for the first time this season. The junior righty allowed just four runs on seven hits and a walk.
Arizona added to its 10-4 lead in the sixth by scoring three times in the home half. Newman, Gibbons and pinch-hitter Scott Kingery delivered RBI singles to push the lead to 13-4.
The Wildcats put an exclamation point on the evening with a five-run seventh inning. Moore doubled in a run, Newman plated two more on a single and Kingery tripled in a pair of runs to cap the scoring at 18-4.
Nigel Nootbaar (L, 2-6) took the loss after surrendering nine runs – eight earned – on 10 hits in 3.1 innings. He gave way to four relievers that each allowed at least one earned run the rest of the way.
Arizona will try for the series sweep on Sunday afternoon. The regular season finale is scheduled for a noon start and will be televised live on the Pac-12 Networks.
NOTES: Arizona honored six seniors before the game (Augey Bill, Nick Cunningham, Tyler Hale, Vincent Littleman, David Lopez and Stephen Manthei ... The crowd of 4,019 was the fourth-largest of the season at Hi Corbett Field and pushed the season total to 101,725 over 37 dates (2,749 per game) … Arizona matched its season high for runs scored, which was initially set on April 28 against Alabama State. ... The eight-run fourth inning was Arizona’s largest of the season and largest since plating nine in the fourth inning against East Tennessee State on April 27, 2012.
