Kurt Heyer wanted to cry.
He didn't. What's that saying? There's no crying in baseball.
But who would have blamed him? Who would have blamed Seth Mejias-Brean, who hit the walk-off double to left field that gave Arizona a 1-0 win over rival Arizona State at Hi Corbett Field in front of a season-high 5,451 fans? It was Arizona's biggest crowd since 1993.
"Words cannot describe what I am feeling right now," said Heyer, who improved to 11-2 on the season for Arizona.
Who would have blamed Robert Refsnyder, who scored the winning run? UA coach Andy Lopez?
Heck, even ASU coach Tim Esmay, whose team dropped to 35-19 in heartbreaking fashion?
"It was a tough one to lose but a great one to win," said Lopez, who admitted that it was the best moment in his 11 years as a UA coach. "I've been on both ends of it. That was a tremendous college baseball game. It's been a long time since I've been a part of that. It was a lot of fun."
The game was unusual -- and fast at 2 hours, 14 minutes -- in that it was the first 1-0 win by Arizona over ASU since 1966. And it was the first time the Cats shut out the Devils anywhere since 1989.
What it also did -- although it wasn't official at the time -- was move Arizona (37-16, 9-19) into a first-place tie with Pac-12 leader Oregon, which fell to rival Oregon State 7-3.
Lopez said scoreboard watching wasn't on his to-do list Friday night.
"I never do," he said. "I don't even know what the standings are. I really don't. If we play good baseball, everything works itself out."
Friday night was as good as baseball gets -- for both teams. ASU had its chances but left eight runners on base. Heyer had something to do with that, working out of jams on at least three occasions.
ASU starter Brady Rodgers limited UA to just five hits and struck out four before being removed after 8 1/3 innings and replaced by closer Jake Barrett.
Duel in the desert? Indeed.
"It was great game," said Esmay. "We had our chances, and so did they. Both pitchers pitched real well. It was one of things where the kid (Mejias-Brean) got to a 98-mile-per-hour fastball."
Mejias-Brean was waiting for it. He was sitting fastball, and he got one on the second pitch from Barrett.
"He's a power guy and a big fastball guy," said Mejias-Brean, whose last game-winning hit came two years ago. "It's just a great feeling."
For everyone wearing red and blue, at least.
It took Refsnyder running through third-base coach Matt Siegel's stop sign to for Arizona to get the win. Refsnyder said he saw the sign but was already determined he was going home.
"Not even a brick wall would have stopped him," said Heyer. "No way. When I saw him go around third base, I said, 'We got this.'"
When Deven Marrero's relay throw was off line and Refsnyder slid in safely, it was over.
Arizona's fireworks started before the actual fireworks show, as the players rushed the field in celebration.
"If you're safe, it's a good move,'' Lopez said of Refsnyder's decision to run through the stop sign. "If he's out, we're probably in the (locker room) and not watching the fireworks. He's a good player and knows what he can do and can't do.''
Refsnyder knew once the ball came off the bat that he knew he was going. There was no stopping. And he agreed that not even a brick wall would have stopped him.
"I just knew I was going to score," said Refsnyder, who called it his greatest moment in baseball. "Once it passed the third baseman, I knew I was going to score. I'm sure he (Lopez) would have killed me had I been thrown out. But I tried my best, (and that wasn't) going to happen.
"I don't think I've ever ran from first to home faster."
The moment overshadowed an impressive night for Heyer, who allowed six hits and three walks in the shutout. But isn't every Friday night Heyer's night? Lopez has consistently gone with him in series openers, counting on his ace to come up with a big win time and again.
"Kurt has been pretty special," said Lopez. "I've only had four guys in my lifetime, 30 years of coaching, that have been Friday night guys in my career. What he did tonight is exactly what he did for three years. He gives you a chance to win. He's pretty doggone good."
It was Heyer's sixth complete game of the year. It was also his third straight win and seventh in eight starts.
"I'll remember this forever," he said. "We feel like we just won the World Series. It feels amazing, but we have to put this one behind us."
Because Arizona State will be back for Game 2 at 6 p.m. Saturday.
