April 1, 2011
Arizona 18, Oregon State 0 (Box Score)
TUCSON, Ariz. - Kurt Heyer tossed a complete game shutout on the mound, and the Wildcats scored 12 runs in the sixth inning as No. 18 Arizona cruised to an 18-0 victory over No. 23 Oregon State in the opening game of a three-game series at Kindall Field/Sancet Stadium on Friday night.
Arizona (20-7, 2-2 Pac-10) scored 18 runs on 18 hits in the game, including 12 runs on 12 hits in the sixth inning alone. The Wildcats sent 18 batters to the plate and left the bases loaded in that wild sixth inning. Amazingly, four Wildcats - Alex Mejia, Jett Bandy, Steve Selsky and Robert Refsnyder - collected two hits each in the frame, while Cole Frenzel was twice hit by a pitch.
Bandy led the balanced offensive attack with a 3-for-6 night at the plate that included three runs scored and six runs batted in. Frenzel scored four runs in the game despite going hitless in two official at bats because he drew an intentional walk and was hit by a pitch three times. Mejia scored three runs and Ortega scored four, while Refsnyder drove in three runs.
It was all more than enough offense for Heyer, who improved to 5-1 on the season and lowered his ERA to 1.12 thanks to his second career complete game, which was the first complete game shutout of his two-year career. The sophomore right-hander scattered five hits and two walks in the effort.
Arizona's offensive outburst was aided by five Oregon State errors over the first six innings, perhaps none more costly to the Beavers than the first two.
In a tie ball game, the Wildcats loaded the bases in the third inning when Sam Gaviglio issued an intentional walk to Frenzel. Bandy followed with a chopper to third base that Carter Bell was unable to field. Instead of one or potentially two outs on the play, two Wildcats raced home.
The ensuing throw from left field to try and throw out Bandy advancing to second skipped away, allowing a third run to score. Refsnyder later singled home Bandy to plate four runs in the inning and spot the Wildcats a four-run lead.
The Wildcats added two more runs in the fourth inning following an Oregon State error, and led 6-0 going to the sixth inning when the floodgates opened.
Gaviglio, who entered 5-0, suffered the loss. He surrendered eight runs in five-plus innings pitched, but just four were earned. In fact, five of the first six runs he allowed were unearned. The right-hander gave up 10 hits and walked three.
Oregon State (18-7, 0-1 Pac-10) was able to shut down the Wildcats in the seventh and eighth innings as reliever Dylan Jones pitched the final 2.1 innings with no runs allowed.
The 12-run inning for Arizona marked the most runs it has scored in a single frame since plating 13 against Washington State in a 29-4 romp in Tucson on May 13, 2006. Earlier this week, the Wildcats scored 11 runs in the fifth inning against New Mexico.
The two teams will resume the three-game conference series on Saturday afternoon. First pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m. at Kindall Field/Sancet Stadium.
