May 20, 2001

Box Score

TUCSON, Ariz.- In order to keep its postseason hopes alive the Arizona baseball team needed a sweep over Pac-10 foe Washington. Job accomplished. The Wildcat offense went on a rampage scoring 18 runs on 23 hits while freshman Joe Little struck out eight in 6.2 innings to earn his fourth victory in his first collegiate start. The win, coupled with Oregon State's 1-0 loss to USC, gives Arizona sole possession of fifth place in the conference standings at 12-12. The Wildcats (33-23 overall) must now wait until Monday at noon when the NCAA announces the bids for the 64-team postseason field.

Junior All-America candidate Shelley Duncan demolished the only home run record not already in his possession with two home runs in the game. The right fielder slugged his 23rd and 24th home runs of the season in consecutive at bats to break George Arias' 1993 single season record of 23. His 55 career home runs places him fifth all-time on the Pac-10 list, ahead of former USC Trojan Slugger Mark McGwire's 54. Duncan finished the afternoon 5-for-6 with six RBIs and four runs scored. It was his 10th career multiple home run game.

All told, 10 different Wildcats collected at least one hit on the afternoon. Junior Brad Hassey picked up his first career five hit game, finishing a perfect 5-for-5 with an RBI and three runs scored. Senior Ernie Durazo was just two hits shy of hitting .400 for the regular season, finishing Sunday's game 2-for-6, including his Pac-10 leading 23rd double of the season. Matt Abram launched a three run homer to join Duncan in double digit home runs for the season with 10.

The Wildcats last postseason trip came in 1999 when they finished the season with a nearly identical record of 33-21 and 13-11 in the Pac-10.