May 27, 2011
Arizona 9, Washington 0 (Box Score)
TUCSON, Ariz. - Kurt Heyer threw a complete-game shutout, and the Arizona baseball team scored nine runs on 11 base hits to cruise to a 9-0 series-opening victory over visiting Washington on Friday night at Kindall Field/Sancet Stadium.
Heyer, who threw nine shutout innings in a no-decision last Friday night at Stanford, picked up his second complete game of the season as he improved his record to 8-3. The sophomore right-hander struck out five, walked none and scattered seven hits.
Senior Bobby Rinard paced the 11-hit attack at the plate with a 3-for-3 night at the plate. Playing in his final home series, Rinard hit his first career home run - a solo shot to left field in the eighth inning - and scored two runs to go with two RBI.
Arizona (34-19, 13-12 Pac-10) moved into a four-way tie for fourth place in the Pac-10 Standings, matching 13-12 league marks with California, Stanford and USC. The Golden Bears and Cardinal are playing a three-game series against each other this weekend, while the Trojans are hosting ninth-place Washington State.
Washington (17-35, 6-19 Pac-10) was held scoreless for the third time in its last five games. Despite getting seven hits off Heyer, only 29 Huskies - two over the minimum of 27 in a nine inning game - officially went to the plate thanks to four double plays turned by the UA defense and a runner being thrown out at the plate on a double-steal attempt in the second inning.
The Wildcats roughed up Husky starter Geoff Brown (1-8) for eight earned runs off nine hits in 6.1 innings pitched. Brown tallied one strikeout and issued four walks.
The scoring commenced for the hosts in the bottom of the second inning when Johnny Field tripled off the right field wall to lead off the frame. Robert Refsnyder followed with an RBI single to stake the Wildcats to the early lead.
Later in the inning, with two outs and runners on first and second, Refsnyder stole home on a double-steal attempt as Rinard reached second base. Seth Mejias-Brean then put a third run on the board with an RBI triple to left centerfield to drive in Rinard. Mejias-Brean came in to score a fourth run on an infield hit by Joey Rickard.
Arizona added a pair of runs an inning later when Brown struggled with his control. Cole Frenzel led off with an infield hit, before Field was hit by a pitch and Robert Refsnyder drew a walk to load the bases. Jett Bandy picked up an RBI with a groundout and Rinard collected one, too, with a sacrifice fly to give UA a 6-0 lead.
From there, the Wildcats relied on steady defense in the field behind Heyer. Arizona turned double plays in the third, fourth, fifth and eighth innings as the club came within one double play of tying the school record of five turned in a single game set three different times.
The Wildcats added two runs in the seventh inning. Refsnyder tallied two more RBI on a two-out single to push his season total to 51. In the next inning, Rinard led off with his first career home to set the score at its final, 9-0.
Heyer, who lowered his season ERA to 2.32, struck out two Huskies in the ninth inning, including the final hitter of the game to secure his second complete game of the season. The win was Heyer's 15th in his two seasons at Arizona.
The series will continue on Saturday evening with second game of the three-game set. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. (MST). The game will be broadcast live on 1290 AM in Tucson..
